The role of oxidative stress in male infertility: Connection to sperm telomere shortening and overall DNA damage
Male infertility affects approximately 20% of men, with 30-40% of cases being linked to issues in both partners. While sperm production may be normal, DNA damage in spermatozoa can occur and become a primary cause of infertility. The exacerbation of oxidative stress leads to damage to various biomol...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | srp |
| Published: |
Pharmaceutical Association of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Arhiv za farmaciju |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://scindeks-clanci.ceon.rs/data/pdf/0004-1963/2025/0004-19632501044G.pdf |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849737282859302912 |
|---|---|
| author | Glišić Biljana Kotur-Stevuljević Jelena |
| author_facet | Glišić Biljana Kotur-Stevuljević Jelena |
| author_sort | Glišić Biljana |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Male infertility affects approximately 20% of men, with 30-40% of cases being linked to issues in both partners. While sperm production may be normal, DNA damage in spermatozoa can occur and become a primary cause of infertility. The exacerbation of oxidative stress leads to damage to various biomolecules, such as DNA fragmentation, lipid peroxidation, and protein oxidation, all of which can impair egg fertilization and embryo development. Elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in semen are associated with poor sperm quality, reduced fertilization potential, and increased sperm DNA fragmentation. Additionally, shorter telomeres in semen correlate with reduced sperm vitality and function. Oxidative stress accelerates telomere attrition by inducing DNA damage, which leads to telomere shortening and potentially compromises sperm function and fertility. DNA damage can occur at different stages of spermatogenesis and fertilization. If the damage surpasses the oocyte's repair capacity, infertility may occur. Various tests are available to assess sperm DNA damage, with the sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) test being one of the most promising. DNA damage is quantified as the DNA fragmentation index (DFI), which represents the percentage of spermatozoa with fragmented DNA. Although reference intervals for DFI may vary depending on the method used, DFI ≤ 15% is generally considered normal, 15-30% is considered average, and DFI ≥ 30% indicates poor DNA integrity, which may negatively impact pregnancy outcomes. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-808900a34c094087a9aab86f0fad8608 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 0004-1963 2217-8767 |
| language | srp |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Pharmaceutical Association of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Arhiv za farmaciju |
| spelling | doaj-art-808900a34c094087a9aab86f0fad86082025-08-20T03:06:57ZsrpPharmaceutical Association of Serbia, Belgrade, SerbiaArhiv za farmaciju0004-19632217-87672025-01-01751445410.5937/arhfarm75-558980004-19632501044GThe role of oxidative stress in male infertility: Connection to sperm telomere shortening and overall DNA damageGlišić Biljana0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5297-7831Kotur-Stevuljević Jelena1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6980-3069Beo-Lab Plus Polyclinic, Belgrade, SerbiaUniversity of Belgrade, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Medical Biochemistry, Belgrade, SerbiaMale infertility affects approximately 20% of men, with 30-40% of cases being linked to issues in both partners. While sperm production may be normal, DNA damage in spermatozoa can occur and become a primary cause of infertility. The exacerbation of oxidative stress leads to damage to various biomolecules, such as DNA fragmentation, lipid peroxidation, and protein oxidation, all of which can impair egg fertilization and embryo development. Elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in semen are associated with poor sperm quality, reduced fertilization potential, and increased sperm DNA fragmentation. Additionally, shorter telomeres in semen correlate with reduced sperm vitality and function. Oxidative stress accelerates telomere attrition by inducing DNA damage, which leads to telomere shortening and potentially compromises sperm function and fertility. DNA damage can occur at different stages of spermatogenesis and fertilization. If the damage surpasses the oocyte's repair capacity, infertility may occur. Various tests are available to assess sperm DNA damage, with the sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) test being one of the most promising. DNA damage is quantified as the DNA fragmentation index (DFI), which represents the percentage of spermatozoa with fragmented DNA. Although reference intervals for DFI may vary depending on the method used, DFI ≤ 15% is generally considered normal, 15-30% is considered average, and DFI ≥ 30% indicates poor DNA integrity, which may negatively impact pregnancy outcomes.https://scindeks-clanci.ceon.rs/data/pdf/0004-1963/2025/0004-19632501044G.pdfoxidative stresstelomere shorteningsperm dna fragmentationdna fragmentation index |
| spellingShingle | Glišić Biljana Kotur-Stevuljević Jelena The role of oxidative stress in male infertility: Connection to sperm telomere shortening and overall DNA damage Arhiv za farmaciju oxidative stress telomere shortening sperm dna fragmentation dna fragmentation index |
| title | The role of oxidative stress in male infertility: Connection to sperm telomere shortening and overall DNA damage |
| title_full | The role of oxidative stress in male infertility: Connection to sperm telomere shortening and overall DNA damage |
| title_fullStr | The role of oxidative stress in male infertility: Connection to sperm telomere shortening and overall DNA damage |
| title_full_unstemmed | The role of oxidative stress in male infertility: Connection to sperm telomere shortening and overall DNA damage |
| title_short | The role of oxidative stress in male infertility: Connection to sperm telomere shortening and overall DNA damage |
| title_sort | role of oxidative stress in male infertility connection to sperm telomere shortening and overall dna damage |
| topic | oxidative stress telomere shortening sperm dna fragmentation dna fragmentation index |
| url | https://scindeks-clanci.ceon.rs/data/pdf/0004-1963/2025/0004-19632501044G.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT glisicbiljana theroleofoxidativestressinmaleinfertilityconnectiontospermtelomereshorteningandoveralldnadamage AT koturstevuljevicjelena theroleofoxidativestressinmaleinfertilityconnectiontospermtelomereshorteningandoveralldnadamage AT glisicbiljana roleofoxidativestressinmaleinfertilityconnectiontospermtelomereshorteningandoveralldnadamage AT koturstevuljevicjelena roleofoxidativestressinmaleinfertilityconnectiontospermtelomereshorteningandoveralldnadamage |