Biochemical Alterations in Semen of Varicocele Patients: A Review of the Literature

Oxidative stress is a mechanism underlying different kinds of infertility in human males. However, different results can be observed in relation to the method used for its evaluation. Varicocele patients show a number of biochemical abnormalities, including an altered distribution of coenzyme Q betw...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Antonio Mancini, Roberto Festa, Sebastiano Raimondo, Andrea Silvestrini, Elena Giacchi, Gian Paolo Littarru, Alfredo Pontecorvi, Elisabetta Meucci
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2012-01-01
Series:Advances in Urology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/903931
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Summary:Oxidative stress is a mechanism underlying different kinds of infertility in human males. However, different results can be observed in relation to the method used for its evaluation. Varicocele patients show a number of biochemical abnormalities, including an altered distribution of coenzyme Q between seminal plasma and sperm cells and also an apparent defect in the utilization of antioxidants. Moreover, an influence of systemic hormones on seminal antioxidant system was observed too. Finally, the effects of surgical treatment on oxidativestress indexes and the possible usefulness of some medical therapies, like coenzyme Q supplementation, are discussed. In conclusion, published data show a role of oxidative stress in varicocele-related male infertility, but at present we do not know the precise molecular mechanisms underlying these phenomena.
ISSN:1687-6369
1687-6377