Serum and Intratesticular Sex Steroids in Azoospermic Men: How Do They Correlate?

Abstract

Five intratesticular sex steroids (testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, androstenedione, estradiol and epitestosterone) along with six serum hormones (LH, FSH, prolactin, SHBG, testosterone and estradiol) were determined in 84 non-obstructive azoospermic men, in order to evaluate to what extent serum and testicular tissue as well as individual hormones in the same material mutually correlate. With exception of androstenedione, tight correlations were found among tissue content of sex steroids, while only weak correlation was recorded between serum and testicular concentrations of major sex steroids testosterone and estradiol. It points to importance of measurement of intratesticular steroids in combination with examination of sperm parameters for assessment of testicular function and spermatogenesis.

Time and Dose-Dependent Effects of Viscum Album Quercus on Rabbit Spermatozoa Motility and Viability in Vitro

“…Disturbance of homeostasis of reproductive system in some diseases can be seen from the decline in physical and chemical parameters of spermatozoa, such as pH, semen volume, concentration, motility, and the percentage of spermatozoa viability. These data justify the increasing efforts in identifying prevention and treatment strategies to preserve reproductive functions in young men with malignancies (Colpi et al 2004, Maltaris et al 2006, Vitku et al 2015, Heráček et al 2018. The mechanisms underlying the male infertility of Viscum album extracts have not been investigated.…”

Arginine Biosynthesis Mediates Wulingzhi Extract Resistance to Busulfan-Induced Male Reproductive Toxicity

“…Similarly, in our results, although both the room-temperature and heated extracts affected reproductive-related metabolism, the room-temperature extracts contained significantly more metabolites related to reproduction, whether in the water or ethanol extracts. These metabolites included nicotinic acid [ 43 ], prostaglandin [ 44 , 45 ], dihydrotestosterone [ 46 ], cortisol [ 47 ], and epitestosterone [ 48 , 49 ], all of which play important roles in male reproduction. The enrichment analysis further confirmed the steroid hormones’ (such as dihydrotestosterone and cortisol) direct maintenance of male characteristics via the activation of the androgen receptor [ 50 ].…”

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“…Сполучення двох і більше факторів безплідності присутні у 30-35 % пацієнтів. Істотна роль у структурі чоловічої інфертильності відводиться сексуальним й/або еякуляторним дисфункціям, імунологічному фактору, шкідливим екологічним (токсичним) впливам [3,5,7]. При цьому є чітка тенденція до прогресуючого збільшення частоти інфертильності, тому нездатність чоловіка до зачаття дитини на сьогоднішній день є однією із самих актуальних проблем у багатьох безплідних сім'ях [6,8].…”