An Insight into Male Infertility: A Narrative Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53560/PPASB(61-2)947Keywords:
Male Infertility, Genetics, Environmental Factors, Diagnosis, Treatment, FlavonoidsAbstract
Male infertility is a widespread health issue globally, frequently remaining untreated due to stigmatization and the challenges in diagnosis and treatment. This review presents a comprehensive update on the literature covering key aspects such as causes, diagnostic techniques, and treatment options for managing male factor infertility. It includes an in-depth analysis of global infertility data, using resources from the World Health Organization, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Elsevier, Medline, PubMed, and Scopus databases to gather relevant articles on male infertility. A total of 41 articles from 2000-2023 were reviewed. High throughput techniques, along with sophisticated assays, are being employed for accurate diagnosis. Surgical procedures such as testicular sperm extraction, vasovasostomy, vasoepididymostomy, sperm retrieval techniques, and non-surgical procedures including sclerotherapy, gonadotropin-releasing hormone therapy, and antiestrogens are available to treat infertile males. Additionally, in recent years, flavonoids have been extensively explored for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immune-stimulating, anti-apoptotic, anticarcinogenic, anti-allergic, and antiviral activities. These properties of flavonoids are being investigated for their potential to address biological mechanisms underlying anomalies such as spermatogenesis disturbance and sperm quality decline. This review serves as a comprehensive guide to better understand the etiologies and treatment modalities of male factor infertility, ultimately facilitating affected individuals in making informed reproductive choices.
References
A.L. Greil, K. Slauson-Blevins, and J. McQuillan. The experience of infertility: A review of recent literature. Sociology of Health & Illness 32(1): 140 (2010).
H.M. Ahmed, M. Khan, F. Yasmin, H Jawaid, H Khalid, A. Shigri, F. Nawaz, and C.A. Hasan. Awareness Regarding Causes of Infertility Among Out-patients at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. Cureus 12(4): e7685 (2020).
Q.J. Zhang, J. Xu, and C. Qin. Epigenetics of male infertility: An update. Zhonghua Nan Ke Xue 23(6): 566-569 (2017).
A. Ferlin, F. Raicu, V. Gatta, D. Zuccarello, G. Palka, and C. Foresta. Male infertility: Role of genetic background. Reproductive Biomedicine Online 14(6):734–745 (2007).
B.M. Hanson, and J.M. Hotaling. Male factor infertility: genetic and epigenetic aspects. Human Reproductive Genetics: Emerging Technologies and Clinical Applications. J.A. García-Velasco, and E. Seli (Eds.), Academic Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA pp. 123–142 (2020).
R.J. Aitken, and Z. Gibb. Sperm oxidative stress in the context of male infertility: current evidence, links with genetic and epigenetic factors and future clinical needs. Minerva Endocrinology 47(1): 38–57 (2022).
D. Plaseska-Karanfilska, P. Noveski, T. Plaseski, I. Maleva, S. Madjunkova, and Z. Moneva. Genetic Causes of Male Infertility. Balkan Journal of Medical Genetics 15: 31–34 (2012).
A. Kolarevic, D. Yancheva, G. Kocic, and A. Smelcerovic. Deoxyribonuclease inhibitors. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 88: 101–111 (2014).
D.E. Rotimi, T.C. Elebiyo, and O.A. Ojo. Therapeutic potential of rutin in male infertility: A mini review. Journal of Integrative Medicine 21(2): 130–135 (2023).
R.J. Ye, J.M. Yang, D.M. Hai, N. Liu, and L. Ma. Interplay between male reproductive system dysfunction and the therapeutic effect of flavonoids. Fitoterapia 147: 104756 (2020).
M.B. Shamsi, K. Kumar, and R. Dada. Genetic and epigenetic factors: Role in male infertility. Indian Journal of Urology 27(1): 110 (2011).
C.L.R. Barratt. Semen analysis is the cornerstone of investigation for male infertility. Practitioner 251(1690): 8–17 (2007).
H. Skaletsky, T. Kuroda-Kawaguchi, P.J. Minx, H.S. Cordum, L. Hillier, L.G. Brown, S Repping, T. Pyntikova, J. Ali, T. Bieri, A. Delehaunty, K. Delehaunty, H. Du, G. Fewell, L. Fulton, R. Fulton, T. Graves, S.F. Hou, P. Latrielle, S. Leonard, E. Mardis, R. Maupin, J. McPherson, T. Miner, W. Nash, C. Nguyen, P. Ozersky, K. Pepin, S. Rock, T. Rohlfing, K. Scott, B. Schultz, C. Strong, A. Tin-Wollam, S.P. Yang, R.H. Waterston, R.K. Wilson, S. Rozen, and D.C. Page. The male-specific region of the human Y chromosome is a mosaic of discrete sequence classes. Nature 423(6942): 825–837 (2003).
E. Carlsen, A. Giwercman, N. Keiding, and N. E. Skakkebæk. Evidence for decreasing quality of semen during past 50 years. British Medical Journal 305(6854): 609 (1992).
J. Auger, J.M. Kunstmann, F. Czyglik, and P. Jouannet. Decline in semen quality among fertile men in Paris during the past 20 years. The New England Journal of Medicine 332(5): 281–285 (1995).
A. Jaiswal, A. Pandey, M. Tiwari, A. Ali, and R. Sharma. Yq AZF microdeletions in male infertility: An update on the phenotypic spectrum, epidemiology and diagnostics. Asian Pacific Journal of Reproduction 10(5): 203–214 (2021).
S.Y. Kim, H.J. Kim, B.Y. Lee, S.Y. Park, H.S. Lee, and J.T. Seo. Y chromosome Microdeletions in Infertile Men with Non-obstructive Azoospermia and Severe Oligozoospermia. Journal of Reproduction & Infertility 18(3): 307 (2017).
H. Fisch, E.T. Goluboff, J.H. Olson, J. Feldshuh, S.J. Broder, and D.H. Barad. Semen analyses in 1,283 men from the United States over a 25-year period: no decline in quality. Fertility and Sterility 65(5): 1009–1014 (1996).
A. Giwercman, and N.E. Skakkebaek. The human testis--an organ at risk? International Journal of Andrology 15(5): 373–375 (1992).
S. Bussen, M. Sütterlin, T. Steck, and J. Dietl. Semen parameters in patients with unilateral testicular cancer compared to patients with other malignancies. Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics 269(3): 196–198 (2004).
Y. Sha, L. Zheng, Z. Ji, L. Mei, L. Ding, X. Wang, X. Yang, and P. Li. A novel TEX11 mutation induces azoospermia: a case report of infertile brothers and literature review. BMC Medical Genetics 19(1): 63 (2018).
F. Yang, S. Silber, N.A. Leu, R.D. Oates, J.D. Marszalek, H. Skaletsky, L.G. Brown, S. Rozen, D.C. Page, and P.J. Wang. TEX11 is mutated in infertile men with azoospermia and regulates genome-wide recombination rates in mouse. EMBO Molecular Medicine 7(9): 1198–1210 (2015).
J. Borgmann, F. Tüttelmann, B. Dworniczak, A. Röpke, H.W. Song, S. Kliesch, M.F. Wilkinson, S. Laurentino, and J. Gromoll. The human RHOX gene cluster: target genes and functional analysis of gene variants in infertile men. Human Molecular Genetics 25(22): 4898-4910 (2016).
M.E. Richardson, A. Bleiziffer, F. Tüttelmann, J. Gromoll, and M.F. Wilkinson. Epigenetic regulation of the RHOX homeobox gene cluster and its association with human male infertility. Human Molecular Genetics 23(1): 12–23 (2014).
Ö. Ayhan, M. Balkan, A. Guven, R. Hazan, M. Ata, A. Tok, and A. Tolun. Truncating mutations in TAF4B and ZMYND15 causing recessive azoospermia. Journal of Medical Genetics 51(4): 239–244 (2014).
A. Ferlin, F. Raicu, V. Gatta, D. Zuccarello, G. Palka, and C. Foresta. Male infertility: role of genetic background. Reproductive Biomedicine Online 14(6): 734–745 (2007).
C. Deurdulian, C.A. Mittelstaedt, W.K. Chong, and J.R. Fielding. US of acute scrotal trauma: optimal technique, imaging findings, and management. Radiographics: A Review Publication of the Radiological Society of North America 27(2): 357–369 (2007).
B. Rosenbusch. Somatic chromosomal abnormalities in couples undergoing infertility treatment by intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Journal of Genetics 89(1): 105–108 (2010).
M. Beaumont, E.J. Tucker. L. Mary, E. Launay, Y. Lurton, C. Pimentel, P. Rollier, L. Akloul, C. Beneteau, S. Chevallier-Bordeau, A.S. Neyroud, O. Pichon, C. Ravel, S. Odent, M.A. Belaud-Rotureau, and S. Jaillard. Pseudodicentric Chromosome Originating from Autosomes 9 and 21 in a Male Patient with Oligozoospermia. Cytogenetics Genome Research 159(4): 201–207 (2019).
A.M. Jequier. Semen analysis: a new manual and its application to the understanding of semen and its pathology. Asian Journal of Andrology 12(1): 11–13 (2010).
D.S. Guzick, J.W. Overstreet, P. Factor-Litvak, C.K. Brazil, S.T. Nakajima, C. Coutifaris, S.A. Carson, P. Cisneros, M.P. Steinkampf, J.A. Hill, D. Xu, and D.L. Vogel. National Cooperative Reproductive Medicine Network. Sperm morphology, motility, and concentration in fertile and infertile men. The New England Journal of Medicine 345(19): 1388–1393 (2001).
K.D. Smith, L.J. Rodriguez-Rigau, and E. Steinberger. Relation between indices of semen analysis and pregnancy rate in infertile couples. Fertility and Sterility 28(12): 1314–1319 (1977).
C. Brazil. Practical semen analysis: from A to Z. Asian Journal of Andrology 12(1): 14-20 (2010).
L. Björndahl. The usefulness and significance of assessing rapidly progressive spermatozoa. Asian Journal of Andrology 12(1): 33–35 (2010).
C. Lindholmer. The importance of seminal plasma for human sperm motility. Biology of Reproduction 10(5): 533–542 (1974).
R.J. Aitken, M. Sutton, P. Warner, and D.W. Richardson. Relationship between the movement characteristics of human spermatozoa and their ability to penetrate cervical mucus and zona-free hamster oocytes. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 73(2): 441–449 (1985).
B.R. Keegan, S. Barton, X. Sanchez, A.S. Berkeley, L.C. Krey, and J. Grifo. Isolated teratozoospermia does not affect in vitro fertilization outcome and is not an indication for intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Fertility and Sterility 88(6): 1583–1588 (2007).
J. Poongothai, T.S. Gopenath, and S. Manonayaki. Genetics of human male infertility. Singapore Medical Journal 50(4): 336-47 (2009).
C.C. Mylonas, N.J. Duncan, and J.F. Asturiano. Hormonal manipulations for the enhancement of sperm production in cultured fish and evaluation of sperm quality. Aquaculture 472: 21–44 (2017).
F.F. Pasqualotto, A.M. Lucon, B.P. Sobreiro, E.B. Pasqualotto, and S. Arap. Effects of medical therapy, alcohol, smoking, and endocrine disruptors on male infertility. Revista do Hospital das Clínicas 59(6): 375–382 (2004).
J.M. Swartz and Y.L. Wright (Eds.) Men’s hormones made easy! Illustrated edition. Morrisville, North Carolina, USA (2015).
D.Y. Gaitonde, K.D. Rowley, L.B. Sweeney, and D.D. Eisenhower. Hypothyroidism: An Update. American Family Physician 86(3): 244–251 (2012).
M. Bals-Pratsch. C. De Geyter, T. Müller, U. Frieling, A. Lerchl, K.M. Pirke, J.P. Hanker, C. Becker-Carus, and E. Nieschlag. Episodic variations of prolactin, thyroid-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, melatonin and cortisol in infertile women with subclinical hypothyroidism. Human Reproduction 12(5): 896–904 (1997).
J. Verhelst, and R. Abs. Hyperprolactinemia: pathophysiology and management. Treatments in Endocrinology 2(1): 23–32 (2003).
M.G. Alves, A.D. Martins, L. Rato, P.I. Moreira, S. Socorro, and P.F. Oliveira. Molecular mechanisms beyond glucose transport in diabetes-related male infertility. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 1832(5): 626–635 (2013).
S.C. Sikka, and R. Wang. Endocrine disruptors and estrogenic effects on male reproductive axis. Asian Journal of Andrology 10(1): 134–145 (2008).
S.J.S. Flora, and S. Agrawal. Arsenic, cadmium, and lead. In: Reproductive and Developmental Toxicology, 2nd edition. J.A. García-Velasco, and E. Seli (Eds.). Academic Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA pp. 537–566 (2017).
S. Gunes and S. C. Esteves. Role of genetics and epigenetics in male infertility. Andrologia 53(1): e13586 (2021).
S. Repping, S.K.M. van Daalen, L.G. Brown, C.M. Korver, J. Lange, J.D. Marszalek, T. Pyntikova, F. van der Veen, H. Skaletsky, D.C. Page, and S. Rozen. High mutation rates have driven extensive structural polymorphism among human Y chromosomes. Nature Genetics 38(4): 463–467 (2006).
Y. Chen, T. Hong, S. Wang, J. Mo, T. Tian, and X. Zhou. Epigenetic modification of nucleic acids: from basic studies to medical applications. Chemical Society Reviews 46(10): 2844–2872 (2017).
F.J. Cisneros. DNA methylation and male infertility. Frontiers in Bioscience: A Journal and Virtual Library 9: 1189–1200 (2004).
K.M. Sujit, V. Singh, S. Trivedi, K. Singh, G. Gupta, and S. Rajender. Increased DNA methylation in the spermatogenesis-associated (SPATA) genes correlates with infertility. Andrology 8(3): 602–609 (2020).
F. Chi, M. Zhao, K. Li, A.-Q. Lin, Y. Li, and X. Teng. DNA methylation status of imprinted H19 and KvDMR1 genes in human placentas after conception using assisted reproductive technology. Annals of Translational Medicine 8(14): 854–854 (2020).
D. Montjean, A. Zini, C. Ravel, S. Belloc, A. Dalleac, H. Copin, P. Boyer, K. McElreavey, and M. Benkhalifa. Sperm global DNA methylation level: association with semen parameters and genome integrity. Andrology 3(2): 235–240 (2015).
E. Capra, B. Lazzari, F. Turri, P. Cremonesi, A.M.R. Portela, P. Ajmone-Marsan, A. Stella, and F. Pizzi. Epigenetic analysis of high and low motile sperm populations reveals methylation variation in satellite regions within the pericentromeric position and in genes functionally related to sperm DNA organization and maintenance in Bos Taurus. BMC Genomics 20(1): 940 (2019).
S. Houshdaran, V.K. Cortessis, K. Siegmund, A. Yang, P.W. Laird, and R.Z. Sokol. Widespread epigenetic abnormalities suggest a broad DNA methylation erasure defect in abnormal human sperm. Public Library of Science One 2(12): e1289 (2007).
B. Li, J.B. Li, X.F. Xia, Y.F. Ma, J. Wang, X.X. Liang, H.X. Zhao, F. Jiang, Y.Q. Yao, and X.H. Wang. Altered DNA Methylation Patterns of the H19 Differentially Methylated Region and the DAZL Gene Promoter Are Associated with Defective Human Sperm. Public Library of Science One 8(8): e71215 (2013).
S. Rajender, K. Avery, and A. Agarwal. Epigenetics, spermatogenesis and male infertility. Mutation Research 727(3): 62–71 (2011).
M. Vieweg, K. Dvorakova-Hortova, B. Dudkova, P. Waliszewski, M. Otte, B. Oels, A. Hajimohammad, H. Turley, M. Schorsch, H.C. Schuppe, W. Weidner, K. Steger, and A. Paradowska-Dogan. Methylation analysis of histone H4K12ac-associated promoters in sperm of healthy donors and subfertile patients. Clinical Epigenetics 7(1):31 (2015).
A. Minor, V. Chow, and S. Ma. Aberrant DNA methylation at imprinted genes in testicular sperm retrieved from men with obstructive azoospermia and undergoing vasectomy reversal. Reproduction 141(6): 749–757 (2011).
B.T.K. Yuen, K.M. Bush, B.L. Barrilleaux, R. Cotterman, and P.S. Knoepfler. Histone H3.3 regulates dynamic chromatin states during spermatogenesis. Development 141(18): 3483–3494 (2014).
Y. Shirakata, Y. Hiradate, H. Inoue, E. Sato, and K. Tanemura. Histone H4 Modification During Mouse Spermatogenesis. The Journal of Reproduction and Development 60(5): 383 (2014).
M. Oikawa, A. Simeone, E. Hormanseder, M. Teperek, V. Gaggioli, A. O'Doherty, E. Falk, M. Sporniak, C. D'Santos, V.N.R. Franklin, K. Kishore, C.R. Bradshaw, D. Keane, T. Freour, L. David, A.T. Grzybowski, A.J. Ruthenburg, J. Gurdon, and J. Jullien. Epigenetic homogeneity in histone methylation underlies sperm programming for embryonic transcription. Nature Communications 11(1): 3491 (2020).
T. Wang, H. Gao, W. Li, and C. Liu. Essential Role of Histone Replacement and Modifications in Male Fertility. Frontiers in Genetics 10: 470883 (2019).
D.P. Patel, T.G. Jenkins, K.I. Aston, J. Guo, A.W. Pastuszak, H.A. Hanson, J.M. Hotaling. Harnessing the full potential of reproductive genetics and epigenetics for male infertility in the era of ‘big data’. Fertility and Sterility 113(3): 478–488 (2020).
F. Giacone, R. Cannarella, L.M. Mongioì, A. Alamo, R.A. Condorelli, A.E. Calogero, and S.L. Vignera. Epigenetics of Male Fertility: Effects on Assisted Reproductive Techniques. The World Journal of Men’s Health 37(2): 148 (2019).
E.T. Marzouni, D. Balasubramanian, and A. Agarwal. Insights from Epigenomics Analysis of Sperm: Sperm Development and Male Infertility. In: Epigenetics: Mechanisms and Clinical Perspectives, Y. Dincer (Ed.). Nova Science Publishers Chapter 6 (2016).
D. Miller, M. Brinkworth, and D. Iles. Paternal DNA packaging in spermatozoa: more than the sum of its parts? DNA, histones, protamines and epigenetics. Reproduction 139(2): 287–301 (2010).
R. Oliva. Protamines and male infertility. Human Reproductive Update 12(4): 417–435 (2006).
J.A. Crapster, P.G. Rack, Z.J. Hellmann, A.D. Le, C.M. Adams, R.D. Leib, J.E. Elias, J. Perrino, B. Behr, Y. Li, J. Lin, H. Zeng, and J.K. Chen. HIPK4 is essential for murine spermiogenesis. eLife 9: e50209 (2020).
H. Nemati, M. Sadeghi, M. Nazeri, and M. Mohammadi. Evaluation of the association between polymorphisms of PRM1 and PRM2 and the risk of male infertility: a systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression. Scientific Reports 10(1): 17228 (2020).
V. Sonnack, K. Failing, M. Bergmann, and K. Steger. Expression of hyperacetylated histone H4 during normal and impaired human spermatogenesis. Andrologia 34(6): 384–390 (2002).
R. Dada, M. Kumar, R. Jesudasan, J.L. Fernández, J. Gosálvez, and A. Agarwal. Epigenetics and its role in male infertility. Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics 29(3): 213 (2012).
H. Kobayashi. H. Hiura, R.M. John, A. Sato, E. Otsu, N. Kobayashi, R. Suzuki, F. Suzuki, C. Hayashi, T. Utsunomiya, N. Yaegashi, and T. Arima. DNA methylation errors at imprinted loci after assisted conception originate in the parental sperm. European Journal of Human Genetics 17(12): 1582–1591 (2009).
H. Kobayashi, A. Sato, E. Otsu, H. Hiura, C. Tomatsu, T. Utsunomiya, H. Sasaki, N. Yaegashi, and T. Arima. Aberrant DNA methylation of imprinted loci in sperm from oligospermic patients. Human Molecular Genetics 16(21): 2542–2551 (2007).
A. Poplinski, F. Tüttelmann, D. Kanber, B. Horsthemke, and J. Gromoll. Idiopathic male infertility is strongly associated with aberrant methylation of MEST and IGF2/H19 ICR1. International Journal of Andrology 33(4): 642–649 (2010).
E. Tahmasbpour, D. Balasubramanian, and A. Agarwal. A multi-faceted approach to understanding male infertility: gene mutations, molecular defects and assisted reproductive techniques (ART). Journal of Assisted Reproduction Genetics 31(9): 1115–1137 (2014).
W. Chen, Y. Peng, X. Ma, S. Kong, S. Tang, Y. Wei, Y. Zhao, W. Zhang, Y. Wang, L. Yan, and J. Qiao. Epigenetic Effects of Assisted Reproductive Technology in Human Offspring. BioRxiv 2: 816157 (2019).
A.B. Harchegani, H. Shafaghatian, E. Tahmasbpour, and A. Shahriary. Regulatory Functions of MicroRNAs in Male Reproductive Health: A New Approach to Understanding Male Infertility. Reproductive Sciences 5: 193-95 (2018).
M.K. Skinner, C. Guerrero-Bosagna, and M.M. Haque. Environmentally induced epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of sperm epimutations promotes genetic mutations. Epigenetics 10(8): 762–771 (2015).
S. Osser, A. Beckman‐Ramirez, and P. Liedholm. Semen quality of smoking and non-smoking men in infertile couples in a Swedish population. Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica 71(3): 215–218 (1992).
L. Chen, G.R. Shi, D.D. Huang, Y. Li, C.C. Ma. M. Shi, B.X. Su, and G.J. Shi. Male sexual dysfunction: A review of literature on its pathological mechanisms, potential risk factors, and herbal drug intervention. Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy 112: 108585 (2019).
R. Sharma, K.R. Biedenharn, J.M. Fedor, and A. Agarwal. Lifestyle factors and reproductive health: taking control of your fertility. Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology 11(1): 66 (2013).
D.S. Gaur, M.S. Talekar, and V.P. Pathak. Alcohol intake and cigarette smoking: impact of two major lifestyle factors on male fertility. Indian Journal of Pathology Microbiology 53(1): 35–40 (2010).
M. Mima, D. Greenwald, and S. Ohlander. Environmental Toxins and Male Fertility. Current Urology Reports 19(7): 50 (2018).
S. Cabler, A. Agarwal, M. Flint, and S.D. Plessis. Obesity: modern man’s fertility nemesis. Asian Journal of Andrology 12(4): 480 (2010).
P.N. Schlegel, and S.K. Girardi. In Vitro Fertilization for Male Factor Infertility. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology Metabolism 82(3): 709–716 (1997).
P.C. Pal, M. Rajalakshmi, M. Manocha, R.S. Sharma, S. Mittal, and D.N. Rao. Semen quality and sperm functional parameters in fertile Indian men. Andrologia 38(1): 20–25 (2006).
S.K. Adiga, V. Jayaraman, G. Kalthur, D. Upadhya, and P. Kumar. Declining semen quality among south Indian infertile men: A retrospective study. Journal of Human Reproductive Sciences 1(1): 15 (2008).
P. Sengupta. Environmental and occupational exposure of metals and their role in male reproductive functions. Drug and Chemical Toxicology 36(3): 353–368 (2013).
R.M. Sharpe. Declining sperm counts in men--is there an endocrine cause? The Journal of Endocrinology 136(3): 357–360 (1993).
N. Kumar, and A. Singh. Trends of male factor infertility, an important cause of infertility: A review of literature. Journal of Human Reproductive Sciences 8(4): 191–196 (2015).
P. Sengupta. Challenge of infertility: How protective the yoga therapy is? Ancient Science of Life 32(1): 61 (2012).
U.R. Parikh, H. M. Goswami, K.J. Deliwala, A.M. Shah, and H.P. Barot. Testicular Biopsy in Male Infertility (Study Of 80 Cases). Journal International Medical Sciences Academy 25(2): 75–77 (2010).
A. Kaltsas, E. Markou, A. Zachariou, F Dimitriadis, E.N. Symeonidis, A. Zikopoulos, C. Mamoulakis, D.M.B. Tien. A. Takenaka, and N. Sofikitis. Evaluating the Predictive Value of Diagnostic Testicular Biopsy for Sperm Retrieval Outcomes in Men with Non-Obstructive Azoospermia. Journal of Personalized Medicine 13(9): 1362 (2023).
M. Bergmann. Evaluation of Testicular Biopsy Samples from the Clinical Perspective. In: Andrology for the Clinician, W.B. Schill, F. Comhaire, T.B. Hargreave (Eds.). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg pp. 454–461 (2006).
M.R. Fielden, R.G. Halgren, C.J. Fong, C. Staub, L. Johnson, K. Chou, and T.R Zacharewski. Gestational and Lactational Exposure of Male Mice to Diethylstilbestrol Causes Long-Term Effects on the Testis, Sperm Fertilizing Ability in Vitro, and Testicular Gene Expression. Endocrinology 143(8): 3044–3059 (2002).
N. Sasano, and S. Ichijo. Vascular patterns of the human testis with special reference to its senile changes. The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine 99(3):269–280 (1969).
M. Flajšhans, J. Cosson, M. Rodina, and O. Linhart. The application of image cytometry to viability assessment in dual fluorescence‐stained fish spermatozoa. Cell Biology International 28(12): 955–959 (2004).
M.J. Perry, X. Chen, M.E. Mcauliffe, A. Maity, and G.M. Deloid. Semi‐automated scoring of triple‐probe FISH in human sperm: Methods and further validation. Cytometry Part A: The Journal of the International Society for Analytical Cytology 79(8): 661–666 (2011).
R.J. Aitken. Not every sperm is sacred; a perspective on male infertility. Molecular Human Reproduction 24(6): 287–298 (2018).
F. Lotti, and M. Maggi. Ultrasound of the male genital tract in relation to male reproductive health. Human Reproduction Update 21(1): 56–83 (2015).
P. Andolz, M. A. Bielsa, and J. Vila. Evolution of semen quality in North-eastern Spain: a study in 22,759 infertile men over a 36 year period. Human Reproduction 14(3): 731–735 (1999).
G.R. Dohle, M. Smit, and R.F. A. Weber. Androgens and male fertility. World Journal of Urology 21(5): 341–345 (2003).
R. Zhou, J. Wu, B. Liu, Y. Jiang, W. Chen, J. Li, Q. He, and Z. He. The roles and mechanisms of Leydig cells and myoid cells in regulating spermatogenesis. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences 76(14): 2681–2695 (2019).
A.A. Dabaja, and P.N. Schlegel. Microdissection testicular sperm extraction: an update. Asian Journal of Andrology 15(1): 35–39 (2013).
K. Chiba, N. Enatsu, and M. Fujisawa. Management of non‐obstructive azoospermia. Reproductive Medicine and Biology 15(3): 165 (2016).
L. Harrell, and W. Hsiao. Microsurgical vasovasostomy. Asian Journal of Andrology 15(1): 44–48 (2013).
I. Schroeder-Printzen, T. Diemer, and W. Weidner. Vasovasostomy. Urologia Internationalis 70(2): 101–107 (2003).
A.J. Thomas. Vasoepididymostomy. The Urologic Clinics of North America 14(3): 527–538 (1987).
R.M. Coward and J.N. Mills. A step-by-step guide to office-based sperm retrieval for obstructive azoospermia. Translational Andrology and Urology 6(4): 730–744 (2017).
S. Glina, J.B. Fragoso, F.G. Martins, J.B. Soares, A.G. Galuppo, and R. Wonchockier. Percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration (PESA) in men with obstructive azoospermia. International braz j urol: Official Journal of the Brazilian Society of Urology 29(2): 141–146 (2003).
Y. Meng, M. Alom, K. Sharma, T.S. Köhler, and L.W. Trost. Microsurgery for Male Infertility. In: Textbook of Male Genitourethral Reconstruction. F.E. Martins, S.B. Kulkarni, and T.S. Köhler (Eds.). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg pp. 695–706 (2020).
H. Sperling, B. Batke, G. Lümmen, D. Propping, T. Katzorke, F.B. Kolodziej, H. Rübben. [MESA (microsurgical epididymal sperm aspiration) and IVF (in vitro fertilization). A therapy concept in treatment of male infertility]. Der Urologe Ausg A 34(5): 409–412(1995).
G. Albanese and K.L. Kondo. Pharmacology of Sclerotherapy. Seminars in Interventional Radiology 27(4): 391 (2010).
C. Schwentner, J. Oswald, A. Kreczy, A. Lunacek, G. Bartsch, M. Deibl, and C. Radmayr. Neoadjuvant gonadotropin-releasing hormone therapy before surgery may improve the fertility index in undescended testes: a prospective randomized trial. The Journal of Urology 173(3): 974–977 (2005).
R. Cannarella, R.A. Condorelli, L.M. Mongioì, F. Barbagallo, A.E. Calogero, and S.L. Vignera. Effects of the selective estrogen receptor modulators for the treatment of male infertility: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Expert Opinion of Pharmacotherapy 20(12): 1517–1525 (2019).
F.D. Giudice, G.M. Busetto, E.D. Berardinis, I. Sperduti, M. Ferro, M. Maggi, M.S. Gross, A. Sciarra, and M.L. Eisenberg. A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials implementing aromatase inhibitors to treat male infertility. Asian Journal of Andrology 22(4):360–367 (2020).
Y. Ma, L. Yang, J. Ma, L. Lu, X. Wang, J. Ren, and J. Yang. Rutin attenuates doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity via regulating autophagy and apoptosis. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Molecular Basis of Disease 1863(8): 1904–1911 (2017).
J.P. Hu, M. Calomme, A. Lasure, T.D. Bruyne, L. Pieters, A. Vlietinck, and D.A.V. Berghe. Structure-activity relationship of flavonoids with superoxide scavenging activity. Biological Trace Element Research 47(1–3): 327–331 (1995).
S.V. Jovanovic, S. Steenken, M. Tosic, B. Marjanovic, and M.G. Simic. Flavonoids as antioxidants. Journal of the American Chemical Society 116(11): 4846–4851 (1994).
J. Terao, M. Piskula, and Q. Yao. Protective effect of epicatechin, epicatechin gallate, and quercetin on lipid peroxidation in phospholipid bilayers. Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics 308(1): 278–284 (1994).
R. Couture, N. Mora, S. Al Bittar, M. Najih, M. Touaibia, and L.J. Martin. Luteolin modulates gene expression related to steroidogenesis, apoptosis, and stress response in rat LC540 tumor Leydig cells. Cell Biology Toxicology 36(1): 31–49 (2020).
E.O. Farombi, I.A. Adedara, S.A. Akinrinde, O.O. Ojo, and A.S. Eboh. Protective effects of kolaviron and quercetin on cadmium-induced testicular damage and endocrine pathology in rats. Andrologia 44(4): 273–284 (2012).
A. Zini, M.S. Gabriel, and J. Libman. Lycopene supplementation in vitro can protect human sperm deoxyribonucleic acid from oxidative damage. Fertility and Sterility 94(3): 1033–1036 (2010).
G. Lavranos, M. Balla, A. Tzortzopoulou, V. Syriou, and R. Angelopoulou. Investigating ROS sources in male infertility: a common end for numerous pathways. Reproductive Toxicology 34(3): 298–307 (2012).
C. Niederberger. The role of sperm oxidative stress in male infertility and the significance of oral antioxidant therapy. Journal of Urology 187(4): 1377 (2012).
M.I. Yousef, K.I. Kamel, M.I. El-Guendi, and F.M. El-Demerdash. An in vitro study on reproductive toxicity of aluminium chloride on rabbit sperm: the protective role of some antioxidants. Toxicology 239(3): 213–223 (2007).
M. Jamalan, M.A. Ghaffari, P. Hoseinzadeh, M. Hashemitabar, and M. Zeinali. Human Sperm Quality and Metal Toxicants: Protective Effects of some Flavonoids on Male Reproductive Function. International Journal of Fertility and Sterility 10(2): 215 (2016).
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Upon acceptance of an article, its copyright will be assigned to the Pakistan Academy of Sciences.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY). Allows users to: copy the article and distribute; abstracts, create extracts, and other revised versions, adaptations or derivative works of or from an article (such as a translation); include in a collective work (such as an anthology); and text or data mine the article. These uses are permitted even for commercial purposes, provided the user: includes a link to the license; indicates if changes were made; gives appropriate credit to the author(s) (with a link to the formal publication through the relevant DOI); and does not represent the author(s) as endorsing the adaptation of the article or modify the article in such a way as to damage the authors' honor or reputation.
