The Incriminating Role of Reactive Oxygen Species in Idiopathic Male Infertility: An Evidence Based Evaluation

Abstract

The male factor is considered a major contributory factor to infertility. Apart from the conventional causes for male infertility such as varicocoele, cryptorchidism, infections, obstructive lesions, cystic fibrosis, trauma and tumours, a new and important cause has been identified as being responsible for the so-called idiopathic male infertility: oxidative stress. Oxidative Stress (OS) is a condition that occurs when the production of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) overwhelms the antioxidant defense produced against them. In male reproductive pathological conditions, the OS significantly impairs spermatogenesis and sperm function, which may lead to male infertility. Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) known as free radicals are oxidizing agents generated as a result of metabolism of oxygen and have at least one unpaired electron that make them very reactive species. Spermatozoa generate Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) in physiological amounts, which play a role in sperm functions during sperm capacitation, Acrosome Reaction (AR) and oocyte fusion, but they need to be controlled and their concentrations maintained at a level that is not deleterious to the cells. Administration of antioxidants in patients with 'male factor' infertility has begun to attract considerable interest. The main difficulty of such an approach is our incomplete understanding of the role of free radicals in normal and abnormal sperm function leading to male infertility. The purpose of the present review is to address the relationship between ROS and idiopathic male factor infertility.

Oxidation-reduction potential of semen: what is its role in the treatment of male infertility?

“…In other words, oxidative stress is a condition that reflects an imbalance between ROS and a biological system's ability to readily detoxify (antioxidant defense) the reactive intermediates or repair the resulting damage [Hampl et al 2012;Saalu, 2010]. ROS are mostly highly reactive substances with very short halflives (atoms, molecules, or fragments of atom and molecules derived from oxygen, nitrogen, other organic compounds, or ions of transition metals such as Cu 2+ and Fe 2+ ).…”

Sperm DNA integrity assays: diagnostic and prognostic challenges and implications in management of infertility

“…Sperm DNA fragmentation may result from aberrant chromatin packaging during spermatogenesis [22,29,30], defective apoptosis [31] excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production [12,22,29,30,[32][33][34][35] decreased seminal antioxidants [26]. External factors such as drugs, pollution, cigarette smoking, fever, xenobiotics, high testicular temperature, varicocele, and advanced age have also been associated with increased sperm DNA damage [36][37][38][39][40].…”

Espécies Reativas Ao Oxigênio, Antioxidantes E Suas Implicações Na Qualidade Do Sêmen Conservado De Mamíferos Domésticos

“…Estes eventos induzem o espermatozoide a um estado de hiperativação. Nestas condições, ele passa pelo processo de reação acrossomal fisiológica, adquirindo a habilidade de fecundar (SAALU, 2010 (2003) observaram também que, após adicionar superóxido dismutase ao meio diluente, houve uma inibição da capacitação. Sendo a superóxido dismutase (SOD) uma removedora de O2-, pressupõe-se que este estejaenvolvido no processo de capacitação espermática.…”