Oxidative Stress is Associated with Reduced Sperm Motility in Normal Semen

Abstract

Infertility is among the most serious medical problems worldwide. Male factors contribute to 40%–50% of all infertility cases, and approximately 7% of men worldwide are affected by infertility. Spermatozoa are extremely vulnerable to oxidative insult. Oxidative stress results in axonemal damage and increased midpiece sperm morphological defects, which lead to reduced sperm motility. The aim of the study is to evaluate the association between sperm motility and the levels of selected antioxidants, cytokines, and markers of oxidative damage in the seminal plasma. The study group included 107 healthy males, who were split into two subgroups based on the percentage of motile spermatozoa after 1 hr: low motility (LM, n = 51) and high motility (HM, n = 56). The glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) activity was 52% lower in the LM group compared to that in the HM group. The level of malondialdehyde (MDA) was 12% higher in the LM group compared to that in the HM group. Similarly, the median values of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-10, IL-12, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) were higher in the LM group than those in the HM group. Results of the present study revealed that the percentage of motile spermatozoa after 1 hr correlated positively with the levels of IL-1β, IL-10, IL-12, and TNFα. The lower motility of spermatozoa in healthy men is associated with a decreased activity of G6PD and increased levels of cytokines, which may be related to increased oxidative stress in seminal plasma that manifests as an increased level of MDA.

Evaluation of seminal plasma interleukin 17 in infertile males

“…Negative correlation between the seminal plasma IL-17 level and sperm motility had been observed in our study, similar results had been reported by Qian et al [14] , it is thought that increased oxidative stress in seminal plasma induced by different cytokines could be the mechanism by which IL-17could impair sperm motility [15] . The significant increase in seminal plasma IL-17 level in patients with leukocytospermia observed in our study may shed light on the role of IL-17 in the pathogenesis of infertility induced by urogenital infection.…”

COVID-19–associated inhibition of energy accumulation pathways in human semen samples

“…Moreover, the interleukin 10 pathway was up-regulated in samples obtained after COVID-19 infection. Kurkowska et al (36) showed that elevated interleukin 10 was associated with reduced sperm motility in normal semen, which is in agreement with previous findings.…”

Mitochondrial Uncoupling Proteins (UCPs) as Key Modulators of ROS Homeostasis: A Crosstalk between Diabesity and Male Infertility?

“…Even though infertile men present lower seminal plasma antioxidant capacity [ 79 , 227 ], oxidative damage in spermatozoa is mostly associated with exacerbated levels of ROS as opposed to impaired superoxide scavenging activity [ 211 ]. Loss of motility is one of the major consequences of oxidative stress in spermatozoa [ 228 ], arising from a combination of reduced membrane fluidity, due to dysregulated lipid peroxidation [ 229 ], and defective axonemal phosphorylation [ 230 , 231 , 232 ]. Furthermore, oxidative stress has been associated with spermatozoa DNA damage.…”