Oxidative and inflammatory damage underlie several conditions related to male infertility, including varicocele. Free light chains of immunoglobulins (FLCs) are considered markers of low-grade inflammation in numerous diseases. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), a lipidic antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound, is involved in spermatozoa energy metabolism and motility. We aimed to evaluate FLCs' seminal levels in patients with varicocele in comparison to control subjects and to correlate them with CoQ10 and Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC) in human semen. Sixty-five patients were enrolled. Semen analysis was performed; patients were divided into three groups: controls, 12 normozoospermic patients, aged 34 (33-41) years; varicocele (VAR), 29 patients, aged 33 (26-37) years; and idiopathic, 24 oligo-, astheno- and oligoasthenozoospermic patients aged 37 (33.5-40.5) years. FLCs (κ and λ) were assayed by turbidimetric method; CoQ10 by HPLC; TAC by spectrophotometric method. λ FLCs showed a trend toward higher levels in VAR vs. controls and the idiopathic group. VAR showed a trend toward lower κ FLCs levels vs. the other two groups. When comparing κ/λ ratio, VAR showed significantly lower levels vs. controls and idiopathic. Moreover, CoQ10 seminal levels showed higher levels in VAR and idiopathic compared to controls. Data reported here confirm lower levels of κ/λ ratio in VAR and suggest a possible application in personalized medicine as clinical biomarkers for male infertility.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/jpm12060857 | DOI Listing |
J Xenobiot
December 2024
Faculty of Sciences (FC-UBI), University of Beira Interior, 6201-001 Covilhã, Portugal.
Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) is a low-molecular-weight phthalate commonly found in personal care products, such as perfumes, aftershaves, and nail care items, as well as in children's toys, pharmaceuticals, and food products. It is used to improve flexibility, make polymer products soft and malleable, and as solvents and stabilizers in personal care products. Pregnancy represents a critical period during which both the mother and the developing embryo can be significantly impacted by exposure to endocrine disruptors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Dev Biol
November 2024
Herman B. Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.
Barth syndrome (BTHS) is a rare, infantile-onset, X-linked mitochondriopathy exhibiting a variable presentation of failure to thrive, growth insufficiency, skeletal myopathy, neutropenia, and heart anomalies due to mitochondrial dysfunction secondary to inherited TAFAZZIN transacetylase mutations. Although not reported in BTHS patients, male infertility is observed in several () mouse alleles and in a mutant. Herein, we examined the male infertility phenotype in a BTHS-patient-derived point-mutant knockin mouse () allele that expresses a mutant protein lacking transacetylase activity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEvol Appl
December 2024
Department of Evolutionary Biology, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković"-National Institute of the Republic of Serbia University of Belgrade Belgrade Serbia.
Biocontrol techniques that impair reproductive capacity of insect pests provide opportunities to control the dynamics of their populations while minimizing collateral damage to non-target species and the environment. The Trojan Female Technique, or TFT, is a method of the trans-generational fertility-based population control through the release of females that carry mitochondrial DNA mutations that negatively affect male, but not female, reproductive output. TFT is based on the evolutionary hypothesis that, due to maternal inheritance of mitochondria, mutations which are beneficial or neutral in females but harmful in males can accumulate in the mitochondrial genome without selection acting against them.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Reprod Health
December 2024
Glickman Urological Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, United States.
Research Question: Male infertility accounts for almost half of all infertility cases worldwide, with idiopathic male infertility accounting for up to 30% of the cases. Sperm proteomics has revealed critical molecular pathway changes in men with infertility. However, the sperm mitochondrial proteome remains poorly understood.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAndrology
December 2024
Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China.
Background: The presence of predominantly headless sperm in semen is a hallmark of acephalic spermatozoa syndrome, which is primarily caused by gene mutations in humans.
Purpose: To identify genetic causes for acephalic spermatozoa syndrome.
Methods: Polymerase chain reaction and Sanger sequencing were performed to define mutations in SUN5 and PMFBP1.
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