Male infertility is a widely debated issue that affects males globally. There are several mechanisms involved. Oxidative stress is accepted to be the main contributing factor, with sperm quality and quantity affected by the overproduction of free radicals. Excess reactive oxygen species (ROS) cannot be controlled by the antioxidant system and, thus, potentially impact male fertility and hamper sperm quality parameters. Mitochondria are the driving force of sperm motility; irregularities in their function may lead to apoptosis, alterations to signaling pathway function, and, ultimately, compromised fertility. Moreover, it has been observed that the prevalence of inflammation may arrest sperm function and the production of cytokines triggered by the overproduction of ROS. Further, oxidative stress interacts with seminal plasma proteomes that influence male fertility. Enhanced ROS production disturbs the cellular constituents, particularly DNA, and sperms are unable to impregnate the ovum. Here, we review the latest information to better understand the relationship between oxidative stress and male infertility, the role of mitochondria, the cellular response, inflammation and fertility, and the interaction of seminal plasma proteomes with oxidative stress, as well as highlight the influence of oxidative stress on hormones; collectively, all of these factors are assumed to be important for the regulation of male infertility. This article may help improve our understanding of male infertility and the strategies to prevent it.
Frontiers in endocrinology. 2023 Feb 13*** epublish ***
Tarique Hussain, Mahmoud Kandeel, Elsayed Metwally, Ghulam Murtaza, Dildar Hussain Kalhoro, Yulong Yin, Bie Tan, Muhammad Ismail Chughtai, Anjaleena Yaseen, Ali Afzal, Muhammad Saleem Kalhoro
College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, Hunan, China., Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, King Faisal University, Al-Hofuf, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia., Department of Cytology and Histology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt., Department of Animal Reproduction, Faculty of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences, Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam, Sindh, Pakistan., Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Faculty of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences, Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam, Sindh, Pakistan., Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha, Hunan, China., Animal Sciences Division, Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and Biology College (NIAB-C), Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS), Faisalabad, Pakistan., Department of Zoology, Minhaj University, Lahore, Pakistan., Food Engineering and Bioprocess Technology, Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok, Thailand.