Publications by authors named "Bruno P Moreira"

Semen analysis is the cornerstone in the investigation of fertility status of male partner. However, more advanced tests have emerged including the analysis of sperm chromatin integrity and DNA damage as markers of semen quality. This is of particular interest, as preserving the genetic information is essential to achieve a successful reproductive event.

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The strong hormonal dysregulation associated with obesity is responsible for the disruption of several reproductive events. Sertoli cells (SCs) function is dependent on energetic homeostasis and thus, directly associated with energy homeostasis regulating hormones. To further understand the influence of those hormones with SCs function and obesity, we hypothesize that human SCs express obesity-related genes (ORG; MC4R, GNPDA2, TMEM18, and FTO) and that they respond to energy homeostasis regulating hormones (leptin, ghrelin, and glucagon-like protein 1 [GLP-1]) stimuli.

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Leptin is an adipose tissue hormone that acts as energy sensor and reproductive function regulator. Recent reports suggest that leptin is involved in mitochondrial biogenesis in different tissue cells. Herein, we hypothesized that leptin could also affect Sertoli cells mitochondrial dynamics and biogenesis.

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The prevalence of obesity has tripled in recent decades and is now considered an alarming public health problem. In recent years, a group of endocrine disruptors, known as obesogens, have been directly linked to the obesity epidemic. Its etiology is generally associated with a sedentary lifestyle, a high-fat diet and genetic predisposition, but environmental factors, such as obesogens, have also been reported as contributors for this pathology.

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Environmental contaminants are a daily presence in human routine. Multiple studies highlight the obesogenic activity of some chemicals. Moreover, these compounds have been suggested as a cause of male subfertility and/or infertility.

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In recent years, the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) has emerged as a master integrator of upstream inputs, such as amino acids, growth factors and insulin availability, energy status and many others. The integration of these signals promotes a response through several downstream effectors that regulate protein synthesis, glucose metabolism and cytoskeleton organization, among others. All these biological processes are essential for male fertility, thus it is not surprising that novel molecular mechanisms controlled by mTOR in the male reproductive tract have been described.

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The process that allows cells to control their pH and bicarbonate levels is essential for ionic and metabolic equilibrium. Carbonic anhydrases (CAs) catalyse the conversion of CO to and H and are thus essential for this process. Herein, we inhibited CAs with acetazolamide - ACT and SLC-0111 - to study their involvement in the metabolism, mitochondrial potential, mitochondrial biogenesis and lipid metabolism of human Sertoli cells (hSCs), obtained from biopsies from men with conserved spermatogenesis.

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Obesity stands as one of the greatest healthcare challenges of the 21 century. Obesity in reproductive-age men is ever more frequent and is reaching upsetting levels. At the same time, fertility has taken an inverse direction and is decreasing, leading to an increased demand for fertility treatments.

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