Infertility is a major global health problem, with nearly half of the cases being associated with male factors. Although reactive oxygen species (ROS) are crucial for sperm cells capacitation, an imbalance between ROS production and antioxidants can lead to oxidative stress that can impair sperm function. Indeed, high semen ROS levels are reported in 30-80% of infertile men. Recent Advances: Male oxidative stress infertility is an uprising classification for idiopathic infertility. Proteomics approaches, including quantitative mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics are being utilized to explore the molecular mechanisms associated with oxidative stress in male infertility.
In this review, proteome data were collected from articles available on PubMed centered on MS-based proteomics studies, performed in seminal plasma and sperm cells samples, and enrolling men with impaired semen parameters. The bioinformatics analysis of proteome data with Cytoscape (ClueGO+CluePedia) and STRING tools allowed the identification of the biological processes more prevalent in asthenozoospermia, with focus on the ones related to oxidative stress.
The identification of the antioxidant proteins in seminal plasma and sperm cells that can protect sperm cells from oxidative stress is crucial not only for a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms associated with male infertility but especially to guide new therapeutic possibilities.
Antioxidants & redox signaling. 2021 Nov 30 [Epub ahead of print]
João C Ribeiro, Rita Nogueira-Ferreira, Francisco Amado, Marco G Alves, Rita Ferreira, Pedro Fontes Oliveira
University of Porto Unit for Multidisciplinary Research in Biomedicine, 451296, Rua Jorge de Viterbo Ferreira, nº 228, 4050-313, Porto, Porto, Portugal, 4050-313; ., University of Porto Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, 89239, Porto, Porto, Portugal; ., University of Aveiro Chemistry Department, 201876, Aveiro, Portugal; ., University of Porto Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, 89239, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira n.º 228,, Porto, N/A, Portugal, 4050-313., University of Aveiro Chemistry Department, 201876, Aveiro, Portugal; ., University of Aveiro Chemistry Department, 201876, Aveiro, Portugal; .