The preparation of human sperm in an andrology laboratory subjects it to oxidative stress. Reactive oxygen species are produced by mitochondria, making it susceptible to oxidative damage; hence, mitochondria-targeted antioxidants like Mitoquinone (Mi...
Sperm motility is the most important parameter involved in the fertilization process and it is strictly required for reproductive success. Although sperm movements are essential for the physiologic fertilization process, the data, deriving from studi...
Cryopreservation-thawing of human semen was found to reduce the level of antioxidant activity surrounding the sperm, which may negatively affect post-cryopreservation (post-thaw) recovery of sperm motility. Therefore, the current manufactured cryopro...
This study evaluated the effects of chlorogenic acid (CGA) on human semen and on oxidative stress (OS) induced in vitro in human spermatozoa. After the treatment of the basal semen with 100 µM CGA, rapid and slow sperm progressive motility were...
To evaluate whether the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) receptor (FSHR) is expressed in human spermatozoa and the effects of FSH incubation on sperm function. Twenty-four Caucasian men were recruited. Thirteen patients had asthenozoospermia, and t...
Osmoregulation plays a vital role in sperm function, encompassing spermatogenesis, maturation, and fertilization. Aquaglyceroporins, a subclass of aquaporins (AQPs), facilitate the transport of water and glycerol across the sperm membrane, with glyce...
Human spermatozoan ion channels are specifically distributed in the spermatozoan membrane, contribute to sperm motility, and are associated with male reproductive abnormalities. Calcium, potassium, protons, sodium, and chloride are the main ions that...
Sperm motility in the female genital tract is a key factor in the natural selection of competent cells that will produce a healthy offspring. We created a dynamic three-dimensional (3D) mechanical model of human sperm cells swimming inside cervical c...
Infertility affects approximately 15% of couples worldwide of childbearing age, and in many cases the etiology of male infertility is unknown. The current standard evaluation of semen is insufficient to establish an accurate diagnosis. Proteomics tec...
Despite its widespread use, sperm cryopreservation induces serious detrimental alterations in sperm function; indeed, it is commonly associated with decreased sperm viability and motility, and DNA fragmentation. Mechanisms of human sperm cryodamage a...
When ejaculated sperm travels through the vagina to the uterus, mucus secreted by the cervical canal generally filters out sperm having low motility and poor morphology. To investigate this selection principle in vivo, we developed a microfluidic spe...
Semen samples are known to contain abnormal amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxygen free radicals; therefore, the identification of antioxidant molecules able to counteract the oxidative damage caused by ROS is foresight. Indeed, improvin...
Swim-up selected human sperm were incubated with 7 ng F4-neuroprostanes (F4-NeuroPs) for 2 and 4 h. Sperm motility and membrane mitochondrial potential (MMP) were evaluated. The percentage of reacted acrosome was assessed by pisum sativum agglutinin...
Oxidative stress (OS) and disrupted antioxidant defense mechanisms play a pivotal role in the etiology of male infertility. The alterations in reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and calcium (Ca2+) homeostasis are the main activators for the mit...
Oxidative stress (OS) is a major cause of defective sperm function. During laboratory handling, gametes are exposed to OS, potentially mitigated by in vitro antioxidant supplementation. This study evaluates the protective role of caffeic acid (CAF) o...
F4-neuroprostanes (F4-NeuroPs), derived from the oxidative metabolization of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are considered biomarkers of oxidative stress in neurodegenerative diseases. Neurons and spermatozoa display a high DHA content. NeuroPs might po...
Spermatozoa (SPZ) are sensitive to stressful conditions, particularly oxidative stress, which alters their quality; thus, the use of protective molecules as an antioxidant is encouraged. Herein, we used melatonin (MLT) to investigate its in vitro eff...
30 May 2018
Glyphosate is the active ingredient of Roundup®, which is one of the most popular herbicides worldwide. Although many studies have focused on the reproductive toxicity of glyphosate or glyphosate-based herbicides, the majority of them have conclu...
Pain is a common clinical symptom among patients. Although various opioid analgesics have been developed, their side effects hinder their application. This study aimed to develop a novel opioid analgesic, HAGD (H-Tyr-D-AIa-GIy-Phe-NH2), with limited...
Toxicants, such as herbicides, have been hypothesized to affect sperm parameters. The most common method of exposure to herbicides is through spraying or diet. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of direct exposure of sperm to...
A state of oxidative stress (OS) and the presence of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the male reproductive tract are strongly correlated with infertility. While physiological levels of ROS are necessary for normal sperm functioning, elevated ROS pro...
Male infertility affects 8–12% of couples worldwide and is solely responsible in up to 30% of cases. Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ARTs) provide potential solutions, particularly in conditions where spermatozoa display structural abnormal...
Sperm membrane lipids play a crucial role in male fertility, influencing sperm motility, viability, and functional competence. This study comprehensively characterizes the phospholipid and sphingolipid composition in highly motile human spermatozoa o...
This study explores the endocrine-disrupting effects of climbazole (CBZ), an environmental and lifestyle stressor, on male fertility. The impact of CBZ on sperm vitality, motility, and molecular pathways related to hormone receptors and apoptosis was...
Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) is considered one of the most dangerous air pollutants for adverse health effects, including reproductive toxicity. It is found both in male and female reproductive fluids likely affecting spermatozoa after the selection process...
Several studies have demonstrated interesting results considering the implication of three growth factors (GFs), namely nerve growth factor (NGF), erythropoietin (EPO), and the insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-1) in the physiology of male reproducti...
Enhancing or protecting sperm motility has always been a pivotal approach to improving the ewe pregnancy rate. Sperm motility is highly susceptible to the immune status of the reproductive tract. Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) have been demons...
Semenogelin 1 (SEMG1), a main component of human seminal plasma, is a multi-functional protein involved in the regulation of sperm motility and fertility. SEMG1 is orthologous to mouse seminal vesicle secretion 2 (SVS2), required for sperm survival i...
Sphingomylin participates in sperm function in animals, and also regulates the Akt and ERK signaling pathways, both of which are associated with the asthenospermia. Sphingomyelin synthase 2 (SMS2) is involved in the biosynthesis of sphingomylin. To d...
Oxidative stress plays a critical role in regulating sperm function, yet species-specific antioxidant mechanisms remain poorly understood. This study compared hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) tolerance in horse and human sperm and investigated the roles of c...
Several studies proposed the importance of zinc ion in male fertility. Here, we describe the properties, roles and cellular mechanisms of action of Zn2+ in spermatozoa, focusing on its involvement in sperm motility, capacitation and acrosomal exocyto...
Excessive levels of reactive nitrogen species (RNS) produce nitrosative stress. Among RNS is peroxynitrite, a highly reactive free radical generated when nitric oxide reacts with superoxide anion. Peroxynitrite effects have been mainly studied in som...
Sperm motility is a prerequisite for achieving pregnancy, and alterations in sperm motility, along with sperm count and morphology, are commonly observed in subfertile men. The aim of the study was to determine whether the expression level of genes a...
The unfolded protein response (UPR) is involved in protein quality control and is activated in response to several stressors. Although in testis the UPR mechanisms are well described, their presence in spermatozoa is contentious. We aimed to investig...
Semen quality has a direct relation to male fertility. Whether sperm variables in humans have decreased over the last years is still uncertain, with some studies showing a decline and others reporting no changes. In this regard, previous research has...
The selection of high-quality sperm is essential to the success of in vitro fertilization (IVF). As human cervical mucus has a high viscosity, without enough swimming persistence, human sperm clouds cannot arrive at the ampulla to fertilize the egg....
The epididymis is crucial for sperm maturation, with its caudal region storing mature sperm. Yaks show poorer sperm motility and higher abnormality rates than cattle, but the metabolic mechanisms remain unknown. This study compared cauda epididymal f...
Male infertility is often linked to sperm quality issues; however, the mechanisms behind these alterations remain unclear in certain contexts. This study investigates the impact of anomalous Rho GTPase activation—a process triggered by bacteria...
Spermatozoa capacitation is a complex process that requires specific ionic and energetic conditions to support biochemical alterations leading to motility hyperactivation. However, human sperm capacitation is still poorly understood. Herein, we studi...
Endoplasmic reticulum membrane protein complex subunit 10 (EMC10) is an evolutionarily conserved and multifunctional factor across species. We previously reported that Emc10 knockout (KO) leads to mouse male infertility. Emc10-null spermatozoa exhibi...
Reproductive tract infections account for approximately 15% of male infertility cases. Escherichia coli (E. coli) represents the most frequently isolated bacterial strain in the semen of infertile men. All Gram-negative bacteria constitutively produc...
Microfluidic platforms have emerged as critical technologies for exploring sperm chemotaxis, providing precise gradient control, and facilitating in-depth behavioral assessment. We designed a novel, user-friendly microfluidic device that is optimized...
The dogma of mitochondria as the major source of energy in supporting sperm motility should be critically reconsidered in the light of several experimental data pointing to a major role of glycolysis in mammalian spermatozoa. In this light, the repor...
Cryopreservation of human spermatozoa is a necessity for males suffering from infertility who cannot produce fresh semen for insemination. However, current ART cryopreservation protocols are associated with losses of sperm motility, vitality and DNA...
To study mechanisms involved in fertility, many experimental assays are conducted by incubating spermatozoa in the presence of molecules dissolved in solvents such as ethanol (EtOH) or dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). Although a vehicle control group is us...
Gender control technologies are promising for enhancing the production efficiency of the farm animal industry, and preventing sex-linked hereditary diseases in humans. It has been shown that the X sperm of mammalian animals specifically expresses X-c...
Background: Lifestyle and environmental pollution harm male fertility. Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are bio-accumulates in the environment as well as in several human tissues, and one of the most common PFAS is perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). Ther...
The white Nelumbo nucifera petals aqueous extraction (NAE) was prominent in phytochemical content, antioxidant activity, and enhanced rat sperm viability induced by FeSO4, a heavy metal. Mancozeb (MZ) contains heavy metals and is widely used for fung...
The etiology of human asthenozoospermia is multifactorial. The need to unveil molecular mechanisms underlying this state of infertility is, thus, impelling. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are involved in microRNA (miRNA) inhibition by a sponge activity to...
Testicular angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) is known to play an essential role in the male reproduction and fertility. Data about tACE in cases of male infertility are quite scarce, and in this respect we aimed to study localization and distributi...
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