Asian Journal of Andrology (Jan 2015)
Effect of transient scrotal hyperthermia on sperm parameters, seminal plasma biochemical markers, and oxidative stress in men
- Meng Rao,
- Xiao-Ling Zhao,
- Jing Yang,
- Shi-Fu Hu,
- Hui Lei,
- Wei Xia,
- Chang-Hong Zhu
Affiliations
- Meng Rao
- Xiao-Ling Zhao
- Jing Yang
- Shi-Fu Hu
- Hui Lei
- Wei Xia
- Chang-Hong Zhu
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.4103/1008-682X.146967
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 17,
no. 4
pp. 668 – 675
Abstract
In this experimental prospective study, we aimed to analyze the effect of transient scrotal hyperthermia on the male reproductive organs, from the perspective of sperm parameters, semen plasma biochemical markers, and oxidative stress, to evaluate whether different frequencies of heat exposure cause different degrees of damage to spermatogenesis. Two groups of volunteers (10 per group) received testicular warming in a 43°C water bath 10 times, for 30 min each time: group 1: 10 consecutive days; group 2: once every 3 days. Sperm parameters, epididymis and accessory sex gland function, semen plasma oxidative stress and serum sex hormones were tested before treatment and in the 16-week recovery period after treatment. At last, we found an obvious reversible decrease in sperm concentration (P = 0.005 for Group 1 and P= 0.008 for Group 2 when the minimums were compared with baseline levels, the same below), motility (P = 0.009 and 0.021, respectively), the hypoosmotic swelling test score (P = 0.007 and 0.008, respectively), total acrosin activity (P = 0.018 and 0.009, respectively), and an increase in the seminal plasma malondialdehyde concentration (P = 0.005 and 0.017, respectively). The decrease of sperm concentration was greater for Group 2 than for Group 1 (P = 0.031). We concluded that transient scrotal hyperthermia seriously, but reversibly, negatively affected the spermatogenesis, oxidative stress may be involved in this process. In addition, intermittent heat exposure more seriously suppresses the spermatogenesis compared to consecutive heat exposure. This may be indicative for clinical infertility etiology analysis and the design of contraceptive methods based on heat stress.
Keywords
- gene regulation
- Musashi
- Musashi-1
- Musashi-2
- posttranscriptional control
- RNA binding proteins
- spermatogenesis
- splicing
- testis
- translation
- cell fate
- cell stress
- importin
- karyopherin
- nucleocytoplasmic transport
- spermatid
- spermatocyte
- spermatogenesis
- artificial insemination
- biomarker
- fertility
- fertilization
- flow cytometry
- infertility
- nanotechnology
- oocyte activation
- Postacrosomal Sheath WWI Domain Binding Protein
- sperm
- SPTRX3
- thioredoxin
- ubiquitin
- ATP binding cassette transporters
- albumin
- high-density lipoprotein
- lipid rafts
- membrane fluidity
- membrane microdomains
- membrane packing
- oxysterols
- reverse cholesterol transport
- sterol transporters
- egg
- fertilization
- heat shock protein A2
- molecular chaperone
- sperm
- sperm-egg interactions
- dehydrogenases
- oxidases
- peroxiredoxins
- reactive oxygen species
- spermatozoa
- thiols
- thioredoxins
- antigen-presenting cells
- autoimmunity
- dendritic cells
- epididymis
- macrophages
- peripheral tolerance
- sperm maturation
- spermatozoa
- genomics
- male infertility
- proteomics
- sperm chromatin
- sperm epigenetics
- sperm DNA damage
- paternal genome
- offspring
- infertility
- chemotaxis
- rheotaxis
- sperm behavior
- sperm motility
- thermotaxis
- apoptosis
- reactive oxygen species
- sperm capacitation
- conservation
- cryobiology
- endangered species
- male fertility
- spermatozoa
- blood-testis barrier
- ectoplasmic specialization
- ezrin
- spermatogenesis
- testis
- hypogonadism
- Leydig cell
- male fertility
- oxidative stress
- Sertoli cell
- ultramorphology
- varicocele
- hyperthermia
- oxidative stress
- seminal plasma biochemical markers
- sperm parameters
- spermatogenesis