Bacteriospermia - A formidable player in male subfertility.
Open Life Sci
; 17(1): 1001-1029, 2022.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-36060647
ABSTRACT
Bacterial colonization of male reproductive tissues, cells, and fluids, and the subsequent impact of bacteria on the sperm architecture, activity, and fertilizing potential, has recently gained increased attention from the medical and scientific community. Current evidence strongly emphasizes the fact that the presence of bacteria in semen may have dire consequences on the resulting male fertility. Nevertheless, the molecular basis underlying bacteriospermia-associated suboptimal semen quality is sophisticated, multifactorial, and still needs further understanding. Bacterial adhesion and subsequent sperm agglutination and immobilization represent the most direct pathway of sperm-bacterial interactions. Furthermore, the release of bacterial toxins and leukocytic infiltration, associated with a massive outburst of reactive oxygen species, have been repeatedly associated with sperm dysfunction in bacteria-infested semen. This review serves as a summary of the present knowledge on bacteriospermia-associated male subfertility. Furthermore, we strived to outline the currently available methods for assessing bacterial profiles in semen and to outline the most promising strategies for the prevention and/or management of bacteriospermia in practice.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Language:
En
Journal:
Open Life Sci
Year:
2022
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Slovakia