The Role of Contemporary Andrology in Unraveling the Mystery of Unexplained Male Infertility

Hamada, Alaa; Esteves, Sandro C.; Agarwal, Ashok

doi:10.2174/1874255601103010027

Cited by 12 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 174 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…As noted, to evaluate sperm functionality we did not only focus on the parameters routinely assessed but also on others that are able to provide more information on sperm function, and that have been previously suggested as good predictors of fertility capacity [11,14]. For the parameters routinely evaluated (motility, viability, and morphology), the lower values in the ID group were not surprising (Table 1, Figure S6) and are in accordance with previous reports [81,93], since these are typical features of ID patients, whose seminal quality can vary from oligo to astheno, teratozoospermic or even present the 3 abnormalities (oligoasthenoteratozoospermic), contrarily to CTRL or UMI patients, which have a normal seminal analysis [94,95].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…ID affects approximately 30 to 40% of infertile men [8], while UMI affects 6 to 30% of infertile men [8,12,13]. In the literature, it is frequent to find different terms to classify these patients, which, together with the frequent lack of proper control groups and the fact that female factor is often disregarded, severely compromise the interpretation of the available information [10,14]. Moreover, considering that the routine seminal analysis is the pillar for male infertility diagnosis, although its limitations in terms of predicting fertility are well-known, additional or improved evaluation tools are needed to understand sperm functionality in full as is a standard and more systematic assessment of potential risk factors, especially for UOMI patients.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

New Insights on Sperm Function in Male Infertility of Unknown Origin: A Multimodal Approach

Pacheco,

Cristo,

Anjo

et al. 2023

Biomolecules

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The global trend of rising (male) infertility is concerning, and the unidentifiable causes in half of the cases, the so-called unknown origin male infertility (UOMI), demands a better understanding and assessment of both external/internal factors and mechanisms potentially involved. In this work, it was our aim to obtain new insight on UOMI, specifically on idiopathic (ID) and Unexplained male infertility (UMI), relying on a detailed evaluation of the male gamete, including functional, metabolic and proteomic aspects. For this purpose, 1114 semen samples, from males in couples seeking infertility treatment, were collected at the Reproductive Medicine Unit from the Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra (CHUC), from July 2018–July 2022. Based on the couples’ clinical data, seminal/hormonal analysis, and strict eligibility criteria, samples were categorized in 3 groups, control (CTRL), ID and UMI. Lifestyle factors and anxiety/depression symptoms were assessed via survey. Sperm samples were evaluated functionally, mitochondrially and using proteomics. The results of Assisted Reproduction Techniques were assessed whenever available. According to our results, ID patients presented the worst sperm functional profile, while UMI patients were similar to controls. The proteomic analysis revealed 145 differentially expressed proteins, 8 of which were specifically altered in ID and UMI samples. Acrosin (ACRO) and sperm acrosome membrane-associated protein 4 (SACA4) were downregulated in ID patients while laminin subunit beta-2 (LAMB2), mannose 6-phosphate isomerase (MPI), ATP-dependent 6-phosphofructokinase liver type (PFKAL), STAR domain-containing protein 10 (STA10), serotransferrin (TRFE) and exportin-2 (XPO2) were downregulated in UMI patients. Using random forest analysis, SACA4 and LAMB2 were identified as the sperm proteins with a higher chance of distinguishing ID and UMI patients, and their function and expression variation were in accordance with the functional results. No alterations were observed in terms of lifestyle and psychological factors among the 3 groups. These findings obtained in an experimental setting based on 3 well-defined groups of subjects, might help to validate new biomarkers for unknown origin male infertility (ID and UMI) that, in the future, can be used to improve diagnostics and treatments.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

New Insights on Sperm Function in Male Infertility of Unknown Origin: A Multimodal Approach

Pacheco,

Cristo,

Anjo

et al. 2023

Biomolecules

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…A recent study indicated that the fertility rate has drastically declined in the United States of America, European countries, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore (2). About half of these infertility occurrences are linked to male factors (3)(4)(5). Studies relating to infertility in both human and animals have identified endocrine disruptors, including bisphenols, among etiologies (2,5,6).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…About half of these infertility occurrences are linked to male factors (3)(4)(5). Studies relating to infertility in both human and animals have identified endocrine disruptors, including bisphenols, among etiologies (2,5,6). Bisphenols are man-made organic chemicals used to manufacture plastics, epoxy resins, and other products.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bisphenols Threaten Male Reproductive Health via Testicular Cells

2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Male reproductive function and health are largely dependent on the testes, which are strictly regulated by their major cell components, i. e., Sertoli, Leydig, and germ cells. Sertoli cells perform a crucial phagocytic function in addition to supporting the development of germ cells. Leydig cells produce hormones essential for male reproductive function, and germ cell quality is a key parameter for male fertility assessment. However, these cells have been identified as primary targets of endocrine disruptors, including bisphenols. Bisphenols are a category of man-made organic chemicals used to manufacture plastics, epoxy resins, and personal care products such as lipsticks, face makeup, and nail lacquers. Despite long-term uncertainty regarding their safety, bisphenols are still being used worldwide, especially bisphenol A. While considerable attention has been paid to the effects of bisphenols on health, current bisphenol-related reproductive health cases indicate that greater attention should be given to these chemicals. Bisphenols, especially bisphenol A, F, and S, have been reported to elicit various effects on testicular cells, including apoptosis, DNA damage, disruption of intercommunication among cells, mitochondrial damage, disruption of tight junctions, and arrest of proliferation, which threaten male reproductive health. In addition, bisphenols are xenoestrogens, which alter organs and cells functions via agonistic or antagonistic interplay with hormone receptors. In this review, we provide in utero, in vivo, and in vitro evidence that currently available brands of bisphenols impair male reproductive health through their action on testicular cells.

show abstract

“…Кроме того, нам удалось показать, что повысить подвижность сперматозоидов можно с помощью веществ, которые способны непосредственно влиять на функционирование митохондрий. Например, метиленовый синий способен оказывать положительный эффект в тех случаях, когда повреждение клеток связано с нарушением митохондриальных функций [8,9]. Однако мы предположили, что наиболее простой путь увеличения энергетических потенций митохондрийэто применение естественных метаболических субстратов, используемых этими органеллами.…”

unclassified