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Feature Paper: Potential Role of Seminal Plasma on Reproductive and...
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Feature Paper: Potential Role of Seminal Plasma on Reproductive and Fertilization Health

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Reproductive Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2023) | Viewed by 19248

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Mirosława Ferens-Sieczkowska

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Departmnet of Chemistry and Immunochemistry，Wrocław Medical University，Curie-Skłodowska str. 50, 50-369 Wrocław, Poland
Interests: glycobiology; carbohydrate-protein interactions; immunity; lectins in immune system; fertility

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Reproductive health is becoming a hot problem, especially in the industrial countries. Conception problems affect in average one in 5 couples, due to both female and male infertility factors. In contrast to female infertility, the male factor has become the subject of intense research only in the recent decades. Standard tests that assess the number, morphology, and motility of sperm are insufficient to predict the reproductive potential of an individual man. In recent years, research interest has been paid to the role of the liquid components of semen and their impact on the final success of fertilization. Seminal plasma (SP), the complex secretions of cells and glands of the male reproductive tract, is no longer considered a passive medium with a task merely to nourish the sperm and deliver them to the female genital tract. The multiple components of SP are involved in the cascade of events leading to sperm activation, but also in regulation of the female body's response to non-self male antigens. The number of PubMed articles indexed annually that mention “human seminal plasma” has doubled over the past decade and is showing an upward trend.

Besides participation in the cascade of complex events leading to the fertilization, the components of SP sensitively reflect environmental exposure to many – possibly harmful – compounds affecting the condition of male gametes and, consequently, the conception success. In this case, SP is a valuable reservoir of biomarkers, useful in tracking unfavorable processes.

In the field of veterinary science a number of interesting studies pointed the role of SP components in sperm protection in assisted reproduction in animal breeding. Due to economic reasons these studies are rapidly progressing – their results may also bring some light on similar mechanisms in human reproductive biology.

In this Special Issue of IJERPH we want to address the wide range of topics regarding the significance of SP components:

  • how do they reflect environmental effects (e.g., oxidative stress, exposure to heavy metals, pollutants, estrogens) that may affect the male reproductive potential
  • how do they affect the response of the woman's immune system to male antigens impact the effectiveness of fertilization
  • how to exploit the reservoir of SP inflammation markers, a complex pattern of cytokines and lipid mediators of inflammation associated with the health of immune system
  • do SP proteomics and metabolomics research bring us closer to select the components that underlie the molecular mechanisms of fertilization and regulation of gamete activity


Other topics related to this subject will also be welcome.

Prof. Dr. Mirosława Ferens-Sieczkowska
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Seminal plasma
  • Fertility
  • Environmental pollution
  • Oxidative stress
  • Inflammation
  • Immunity
  • Assisted reproduction

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 8506 KiB  
Article
The Role of Seminal Oxidative Stress Scavenging System in the Pathogenesis of Sperm DNA Damage in Men Exposed and Not Exposed to Genital Heat Stress
by Monika Fraczek, Angelika Lewandowska, Marta Budzinska, Marzena Kamieniczna, Lukasz Wojnar, Kamil Gill, Malgorzata Piasecka, Michal Kups, Anna Havrylyuk, Valentina Chopyak, Jozef Nakonechnyy, Andrij Nakonechnyy and Maciej Kurpisz
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(5), 2713; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19052713 - 25 Feb 2022
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3629
Abstract
Responding to the need for the verification of some experimental animal studies showing the involvement of oxidative stress in germ cell damage in the heat-induced testis, we investigated the possibility of a direct relationship between seminal oxidative stress markers (total antioxidant capacity, catalase [...] Read more.
Responding to the need for the verification of some experimental animal studies showing the involvement of oxidative stress in germ cell damage in the heat-induced testis, we investigated the possibility of a direct relationship between seminal oxidative stress markers (total antioxidant capacity, catalase activity, superoxide dismutase activity, and malondialdehyde concentration) and ejaculated sperm chromatin/DNA integrity (DNA fragmentation and chromatin condensation abnormalities) in distinct groups of men exposed and not exposed to prolonged scrotal hyperthermia. A statistical increase in the proportion of sperm with DNA fragmentation was observed in all the studied subgroups compared to the fertile men. In turn, the groups subjected to heat stress as professional drivers or infertile men with varicocele presented greater disturbances in the oxidative stress scavenging system than men not exposed to genital heat stress. Based on the comparative analysis of the studied parameters, we can conclude that alterations in the seminal oxidative stress scavenging system are directly engaged in the pathogenesis of ejaculated sperm DNA damage regardless of the intensity of the impact of thermal insult. To the best of our knowledge, this study, for the first time, revealed the co-existence of oxidative stress and sperm DNA damage in the semen of professional drivers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Paper: Potential Role of Seminal Plasma on Reproductive and Fertilization Health)
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8 pages, 950 KiB  
Article
A Study to Validate the Relevance of Semen F2-Isoprostanes on Human Male Infertility
by Elena Moretti, Cinzia Signorini, Fabio Ferretti, Daria Noto and Giulia Collodel
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(3), 1642; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19031642 - 31 Jan 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2369
Abstract
F2-isoprostanes (F2-IsoPs), byproducts of arachidonic acid oxidation, are one of the most reliable indices for assessing lipid peroxidation in vivo. This study aimed at evaluating the seminal F2-IsoP level in 147 patients with different reproductive conditions (varicocele, [...] Read more.
F2-isoprostanes (F2-IsoPs), byproducts of arachidonic acid oxidation, are one of the most reliable indices for assessing lipid peroxidation in vivo. This study aimed at evaluating the seminal F2-IsoP level in 147 patients with different reproductive conditions (varicocele, urogenital infection, idiopathic infertility) and 45 fertile controls to establish a cut-off value discriminating physiological and pathological ranges. Semen analyses were performed following WHO guidelines; F2-IsoP levels were measured by gas chromatography/negative-ion chemical ionization tandem mass spectrometry. Considering the whole group of patients, F2-IsoPs correlated negatively with normal morphology (r = −0.283, p < 0.01), viability (r = −0.245, p < 0.01), total progressive motility (r = −0.309, p < 0.01) and rapid motility (r = −0.535, p < 0.01). The area under the ROC curve for F2-IsoP levels was 0.839, indicating a good performance of the test; the Youden index showed a cut-off value of 29.96 ng/mL. Fertile men (except one) were distributed in the group of patients with F2-IsoP level < 29.96 ng/mL. Varicocele and urogenital infection groups showed the highest levels of F2-IsoPs in semen. For the first time, a cut-off for F2-IsoPs is identified in human semen. It allows discriminating different male infertility conditions by the semen F2-IsoP amounts, as an additional parameter for clinical evaluation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Paper: Potential Role of Seminal Plasma on Reproductive and Fertilization Health)
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Review

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19 pages, 3198 KiB  
Review
Seminal Plasma Glycoproteins as Potential Ligands of Lectins Engaged in Immunity Regulation
by Beata Olejnik and Mirosława Ferens-Sieczkowska
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(17), 10489; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191710489 - 23 Aug 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1929
Abstract
Environmental pollution, chronic stress, and unhealthy lifestyle are factors that negatively affect reproductive potential. Currently, 15–20% of couples in industrialized countries face the problem of infertility. This growing health and social problem prompts researchers to explore the regulatory mechanisms that may be important [...] Read more.
Environmental pollution, chronic stress, and unhealthy lifestyle are factors that negatively affect reproductive potential. Currently, 15–20% of couples in industrialized countries face the problem of infertility. This growing health and social problem prompts researchers to explore the regulatory mechanisms that may be important for successful fertilization. In recent years, more attention has been paid to male infertility factors, including the impact of seminal plasma components on regulation of the female immune response to allogenic sperm, embryo and fetal antigens. Directing this response to the tolerogenic pathway is crucial to achieve a healthy pregnancy. According to the fetoembryonic defense hypothesis, the regulatory mechanism may be associated with the interaction of lectins and immunomodulatory glycoepitopes. Such interactions may involve lectins of dendritic cells and macrophages, recruited to the cervical region immediately after intercourse. Carbohydrate binding receptors include C type lectins, such as DC-SIGN and MGL, as well as galectins and siglecs among others. In this article we discuss the expression of the possible lectin ligands, highly fucosylated and high mannose structures, which may be recognized by DC-SIGN, glycans of varying degrees of sialylation, which may differ in their interaction with siglecs, as well as T and Tn antigens in O-glycans. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Paper: Potential Role of Seminal Plasma on Reproductive and Fertilization Health)
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11 pages, 982 KiB  
Review
Metabolic, Oxidative and Psychological Stress as Mediators of the Effect of COVID-19 on Male Infertility: A Literature Review
by Gesthimani Mintziori, Leonidas H. Duntas, Stavroula Veneti and Dimitrios G. Goulis
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(9), 5277; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19095277 - 26 Apr 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2706
Abstract
Over 300 million patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been reported worldwide since the outbreak of the pandemic in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. COVID-19 is induced by the acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The effect of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the male [...] Read more.
Over 300 million patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been reported worldwide since the outbreak of the pandemic in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. COVID-19 is induced by the acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The effect of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the male reproductive system is unclear. The aim of this review is to assess the effect of SARS-CoV-2 infection on male fertility and the impact of possible mediators, such as metabolic, oxidative and psychological stress. SARS-CoV-2 infection aggravates metabolic stress and directly or indirectly affects male fertility by reducing seminal health. In addition, SARS-CoV-2 infection leads to excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and increased psychological distress. These data suggest that SARS-CoV-2 infection reduces male fertility, possibly by means of metabolic, oxidative and psychological stress. Therefore, among other consequences, the possibility of COVID-19-induced male infertility should not be neglected. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Paper: Potential Role of Seminal Plasma on Reproductive and Fertilization Health)
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17 pages, 1238 KiB  
Review
Impact of Alcohol Consumption on Male Fertility Potential: A Narrative Review
by Renata Finelli, Filomena Mottola and Ashok Agarwal
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(1), 328; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19010328 - 29 Dec 2021
Cited by 40 | Viewed by 7852
Abstract
Alcohol abuse disorder is a serious condition, implicating more than 15 million people aged 12 years and older in 2019 in the United States. Ethanol (or ethyl alcohol) is mainly oxidized in the liver, resulting in the synthesis of acetaldehyde and acetate, which [...] Read more.
Alcohol abuse disorder is a serious condition, implicating more than 15 million people aged 12 years and older in 2019 in the United States. Ethanol (or ethyl alcohol) is mainly oxidized in the liver, resulting in the synthesis of acetaldehyde and acetate, which are toxic and carcinogenic metabolites, as well as in the generation of a reductive cellular environment. Moreover, ethanol can interact with lipids, generating fatty acid ethyl esters and phosphatidylethanol, which interfere with physiological cellular pathways. This narrative review summarizes the impact of excessive alcohol consumption on male fertility by describing its metabolism and how ethanol consumption may induce cellular damage. Furthermore, the impact of alcohol consumption on hormonal regulation, semen quality, and genetic and epigenetic regulations is discussed based on evidence from animal and human studies, focusing on the consequences on the offspring. Finally, the limitations of the current evidence are discussed. Our review highlights the association between chronic alcohol consumption and poor semen quality, mainly due to the development of oxidative stress, as well as its genotoxic impact on hormonal regulation and DNA integrity, affecting the offspring’s health. New landscapes of investigation are proposed for the identification of molecular markers for alcohol-associated infertility, with a focus on advanced OMICS-based approaches applied to the analysis of semen samples. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Paper: Potential Role of Seminal Plasma on Reproductive and Fertilization Health)
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