Redox Balance in Male Infertility: Excellence through Moderation—“Μέτρον ἄριστον”
Male infertility, a relatively common and multifactorial medical condition, affects approximately 15% of couples globally. Based on WHO estimates, a staggering 190 million people struggle with this health condition, and male factor is the sole or contributing factor in roughly 20–50% of these cases....
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-09-01
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| Series: | Antioxidants |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/10/10/1534 |
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| author | Evangelos N. Symeonidis Evangelini Evgeni Vasileios Palapelas Dimitra Koumasi Nikolaos Pyrgidis Ioannis Sokolakis Georgios Hatzichristodoulou Chara Tsiampali Ioannis Mykoniatis Athanasios Zachariou Nikolaos Sofikitis Ares Kaltsas Fotios Dimitriadis |
| author_facet | Evangelos N. Symeonidis Evangelini Evgeni Vasileios Palapelas Dimitra Koumasi Nikolaos Pyrgidis Ioannis Sokolakis Georgios Hatzichristodoulou Chara Tsiampali Ioannis Mykoniatis Athanasios Zachariou Nikolaos Sofikitis Ares Kaltsas Fotios Dimitriadis |
| author_sort | Evangelos N. Symeonidis |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Male infertility, a relatively common and multifactorial medical condition, affects approximately 15% of couples globally. Based on WHO estimates, a staggering 190 million people struggle with this health condition, and male factor is the sole or contributing factor in roughly 20–50% of these cases. Nowadays, urologists are confronted with a wide spectrum of conditions ranging from the typical infertile male to more complex cases of either unexplained or idiopathic male infertility, requiring a specific patient-tailored diagnostic approach and management. Strikingly enough, no identifiable cause in routine workup can be found in 30% to 50% of infertile males. The medical term male oxidative stress infertility (MOSI) was recently coined to describe infertile men with abnormal sperm parameters and oxidative stress (OS), including those previously classified as having idiopathic infertility. OS is a critical component of male infertility, entailing an imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidants. ROS abundance has been implicated in sperm abnormalities, while the exact impact on fertilization and pregnancy has long been a subject of considerable debate. In an attempt to counteract the deleterious effects of OS, urologists resorted to antioxidant supplementation. Mounting evidence indicates that indiscriminate consumption of antioxidants has led in some cases to sperm cell damage through a reductive-stress-induced state. The “antioxidant paradox”, one of the biggest andrological challenges, remains a lurking danger that needs to be carefully avoided and thoroughly investigated. For that reason, oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) emerged as a viable ancillary tool to basic semen analysis, measuring the overall balance between oxidants and antioxidants (reductants). A novel biomarker, the Male infertility Oxidative System (MiOXSYS<sup>®</sup>), is a paradigm shift towards that goal, offering a quantification of OS via a quick, reliable, and reproducible measurement of the ORP. Moderation or “<i>Μέτρον</i>” according to the ancient Greeks is the key to successfully safeguarding redox balance, with MiOXSYS<sup>®</sup> earnestly claiming its position as a guarantor of homeostasis in the intracellular redox milieu. In the present paper, we aim to offer a narrative summary of evidence relevant to redox regulation in male reproduction, analyze the impact of OS and reductive stress on sperm function, and shed light on the “antioxidant paradox” phenomenon. Finally, we examine the most up-to-date scientific literature regarding ORP and its measurement by the recently developed MiOXSYS<sup>®</sup> assay. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T06:45:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-22c1fe259c4448468b317dd2c8eb407e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3921 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T06:45:59Z |
| publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Antioxidants |
| spelling | doaj.art-22c1fe259c4448468b317dd2c8eb407e2023-11-22T17:15:26ZengMDPI AGAntioxidants2076-39212021-09-011010153410.3390/antiox10101534Redox Balance in Male Infertility: Excellence through Moderation—“Μέτρον ἄριστον”Evangelos N. Symeonidis0Evangelini Evgeni1Vasileios Palapelas2Dimitra Koumasi3Nikolaos Pyrgidis4Ioannis Sokolakis5Georgios Hatzichristodoulou6Chara Tsiampali7Ioannis Mykoniatis8Athanasios Zachariou9Nikolaos Sofikitis10Ares Kaltsas11Fotios Dimitriadis12Department of Urology, “G. Gennimatas” General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54635 Thessaloniki, GreeceCryogonia Cryopreservation Bank, 11526 Athens, Greece3rd Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hippokration General Hospital, School of Medicine, Aristotle University, 54642 Thessaloniki, GreeceCryogonia Cryopreservation Bank, 11526 Athens, GreeceDepartment of Urology, ‘Martha-Maria’ Hospital Nuremberg, 90491 Nuremberg, GermanyDepartment of Urology, ‘Martha-Maria’ Hospital Nuremberg, 90491 Nuremberg, GermanyDepartment of Urology, ‘Martha-Maria’ Hospital Nuremberg, 90491 Nuremberg, GermanyIndependent Researcher, 54250 Thessaloniki, GreeceDepartment of Urology, “G. Gennimatas” General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54635 Thessaloniki, GreeceDepartment of Urology, School of Medicine, Ioannina University, 45500 Ioannina, GreeceDepartment of Urology, School of Medicine, Ioannina University, 45500 Ioannina, GreeceDepartment of Urology, School of Medicine, Ioannina University, 45500 Ioannina, GreeceDepartment of Urology, “G. Gennimatas” General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54635 Thessaloniki, GreeceMale infertility, a relatively common and multifactorial medical condition, affects approximately 15% of couples globally. Based on WHO estimates, a staggering 190 million people struggle with this health condition, and male factor is the sole or contributing factor in roughly 20–50% of these cases. Nowadays, urologists are confronted with a wide spectrum of conditions ranging from the typical infertile male to more complex cases of either unexplained or idiopathic male infertility, requiring a specific patient-tailored diagnostic approach and management. Strikingly enough, no identifiable cause in routine workup can be found in 30% to 50% of infertile males. The medical term male oxidative stress infertility (MOSI) was recently coined to describe infertile men with abnormal sperm parameters and oxidative stress (OS), including those previously classified as having idiopathic infertility. OS is a critical component of male infertility, entailing an imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidants. ROS abundance has been implicated in sperm abnormalities, while the exact impact on fertilization and pregnancy has long been a subject of considerable debate. In an attempt to counteract the deleterious effects of OS, urologists resorted to antioxidant supplementation. Mounting evidence indicates that indiscriminate consumption of antioxidants has led in some cases to sperm cell damage through a reductive-stress-induced state. The “antioxidant paradox”, one of the biggest andrological challenges, remains a lurking danger that needs to be carefully avoided and thoroughly investigated. For that reason, oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) emerged as a viable ancillary tool to basic semen analysis, measuring the overall balance between oxidants and antioxidants (reductants). A novel biomarker, the Male infertility Oxidative System (MiOXSYS<sup>®</sup>), is a paradigm shift towards that goal, offering a quantification of OS via a quick, reliable, and reproducible measurement of the ORP. Moderation or “<i>Μέτρον</i>” according to the ancient Greeks is the key to successfully safeguarding redox balance, with MiOXSYS<sup>®</sup> earnestly claiming its position as a guarantor of homeostasis in the intracellular redox milieu. In the present paper, we aim to offer a narrative summary of evidence relevant to redox regulation in male reproduction, analyze the impact of OS and reductive stress on sperm function, and shed light on the “antioxidant paradox” phenomenon. Finally, we examine the most up-to-date scientific literature regarding ORP and its measurement by the recently developed MiOXSYS<sup>®</sup> assay.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/10/10/1534male infertilityredox balancereactive oxygen speciesoxidative stressreductive stressantioxidants |
| spellingShingle | Evangelos N. Symeonidis Evangelini Evgeni Vasileios Palapelas Dimitra Koumasi Nikolaos Pyrgidis Ioannis Sokolakis Georgios Hatzichristodoulou Chara Tsiampali Ioannis Mykoniatis Athanasios Zachariou Nikolaos Sofikitis Ares Kaltsas Fotios Dimitriadis Redox Balance in Male Infertility: Excellence through Moderation—“Μέτρον ἄριστον” Antioxidants male infertility redox balance reactive oxygen species oxidative stress reductive stress antioxidants |
| title | Redox Balance in Male Infertility: Excellence through Moderation—“Μέτρον ἄριστον” |
| title_full | Redox Balance in Male Infertility: Excellence through Moderation—“Μέτρον ἄριστον” |
| title_fullStr | Redox Balance in Male Infertility: Excellence through Moderation—“Μέτρον ἄριστον” |
| title_full_unstemmed | Redox Balance in Male Infertility: Excellence through Moderation—“Μέτρον ἄριστον” |
| title_short | Redox Balance in Male Infertility: Excellence through Moderation—“Μέτρον ἄριστον” |
| title_sort | redox balance in male infertility excellence through moderation μέτρον ἄριστον |
| topic | male infertility redox balance reactive oxygen species oxidative stress reductive stress antioxidants |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/10/10/1534 |
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