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Edele Santos D, Colonetti T, Rodrigues Uggioni ML, Rech P, Marcelino Baptista M, Medeiros LR, Grande AJ, Rosa MI. Effects of COVID-19 or vaccines for SARS-COV-2 on sperm parameters: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Reprod Immunol 2023; 160:104140. [PMID: 37696225 DOI: 10.1016/j.jri.2023.104140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023]
Abstract
This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the effects of SARS-Cov-2 and mRNA vaccines on male reproduction. We conducted a comprehensive search using terms such as "COVID-19," "vaccine," and "sperm parameters" on various electronic databases, including MEDLINE (PubMed), BVS (LILACS and others), Embase (Elsevier), and Cochrane Library. We included observational studies, including cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies. Of the 2054 records initially identified, we carefully examined 47 full-text articles and excluded 26 articles for specific reasons, ultimately including 21 studies for our analysis. Among these, 16 studies focused on assessing seminal parameters in patients with COVID-19, while five studies investigated the effects of COVID vaccines on seminal parameters. A meta-analysis of seminal parameters in men before and after the COVID-19 pandemic revealed significant differences in seminal concentration, progressive motility, total motility, and normal morphology. These findings indicate a positive impact of the analyzed parameters before the onset of COVID-19. However, the quality of the evidence was considered low. In contrast, a meta-analysis of five studies evaluating seminal parameters before and after the SARS-Cov-2 vaccine did not show any significant differences in total motility. This analysis, involving 256 men from four studies, provided low-quality evidence, suggesting that mRNA vaccines do not affect male reproduction. Overall, our findings suggest that seminal parameters exhibit considerable variability depending on specific outcomes and the study design. However, based on available evidence, it appears that mRNA vaccines do not have detrimental effects on male reproductive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diogo Edele Santos
- Laboratory of Translational Biomedicine, Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense, Av. Universitária, 1105, Universitário, CEP 88806-000 Criciúma, SC, Brazil
| | - Tamy Colonetti
- Laboratory of Translational Biomedicine, Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense, Av. Universitária, 1105, Universitário, CEP 88806-000 Criciúma, SC, Brazil
| | - Maria Laura Rodrigues Uggioni
- Laboratory of Translational Biomedicine, Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense, Av. Universitária, 1105, Universitário, CEP 88806-000 Criciúma, SC, Brazil
| | - Peterson Rech
- Laboratory of Translational Biomedicine, Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense, Av. Universitária, 1105, Universitário, CEP 88806-000 Criciúma, SC, Brazil
| | - Mateus Marcelino Baptista
- Laboratory of Translational Biomedicine, Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense, Av. Universitária, 1105, Universitário, CEP 88806-000 Criciúma, SC, Brazil
| | - Lidia Rosi Medeiros
- Laboratory of Translational Biomedicine, Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense, Av. Universitária, 1105, Universitário, CEP 88806-000 Criciúma, SC, Brazil
| | - Antonio José Grande
- Laboratory of Evidence-based Practice, Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Av. Dom Antonio Barbosa (MS-080), 4.155, CEP 79115-898 Campo Grande, MS, Brazil; Graduate Program in Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, School of Medicine, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Maria Inês Rosa
- Laboratory of Translational Biomedicine, Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense, Av. Universitária, 1105, Universitário, CEP 88806-000 Criciúma, SC, Brazil.
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Dash A, Salkar A, Nissa MU, Makwana P, Athalye A, Parikh S, Srivastava S, Parikh F. Semen proteomics reveals alterations in fertility-related proteins post-recovery from COVID-19. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1212959. [PMID: 38028760 PMCID: PMC10665489 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1212959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Changes to sperm quality and decline in reproductive function have been reported in COVID-19-recovered males. Further, the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants has caused the resurgences of COVID-19 cases globally during the last 2 years. These variants show increased infectivity and transmission along with immune escape mechanisms, which threaten the already burdened healthcare system. However, whether COVID-19 variants induce an effect on the male reproductive system even after recovery remains elusive. Methods: We used mass-spectrometry-based proteomics approaches to understand the post-COVID-19 effect on reproductive health in men using semen samples post-recovery from COVID-19. The samples were collected between late 2020 (1st wave, n = 20), and early-to-mid 2021 (2nd wave, n = 21); control samples were included (n = 10). During the 1st wave alpha variant was prevalent in India, whereas the delta variant dominated the second wave. Results: On comparing the COVID-19-recovered patients from the two waves with control samples, using one-way ANOVA, we identified 69 significantly dysregulated proteins among the three groups. Indeed, this was also reflected by the changes in sperm count, morphology, and motility of the COVID-19- recovered patients. In addition, the pathway enrichment analysis showed that the regulated exocytosis, neutrophil degranulation, antibacterial immune response, spermatogenesis, spermatid development, regulation of extracellular matrix organization, regulation of peptidase activity, and regulations of calcium ion transport were significantly dysregulated. These pathways directly or indirectly affect sperm parameters and function. Our study provides a comprehensive landscape of expression trends of semen proteins related to male fertility in men recovering from COVID-19. Discussion: Our study suggests that the effect of COVID-19 on the male reproductive system persists even after recovery from COVID-19. In addition, these post-COVID-19 complications persist irrespective of the prevalent variants or vaccination status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankita Dash
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India
| | - Akanksha Salkar
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India
| | - Mehar Un Nissa
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India
| | - Prashant Makwana
- Department of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics, Jaslok-FertilTree International Centre, Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre, Mumbai, India
| | - Arundhati Athalye
- Department of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics, Jaslok-FertilTree International Centre, Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre, Mumbai, India
| | - Swapneil Parikh
- Department of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics, Jaslok-FertilTree International Centre, Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre, Mumbai, India
| | - Sanjeeva Srivastava
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India
| | - Firuza Parikh
- Department of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics, Jaslok-FertilTree International Centre, Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre, Mumbai, India
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Bai Y, Hei N, Gao M, Dong X, Li M, Jiang S, Zhang L. LDLR heterozygous deletion reduces hamster testicular cholesterol toxicity via AMPK/Sirt1/PGC-1α pathway. Toxicol Lett 2023; 384:30-43. [PMID: 37459939 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2023.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
Cholesterol is an important part of the human diet. The relationship and molecular mechanisms between intracellular cholesterol and male infertility are unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) in male infertility. Both wild-type (WT) and LDLR heterozygous deletion (LDLR+/-) male Golden Syrian hamsters were fed either a high-fat diet (HFD) or a normal diet (ND). Plasma biochemistry, serum hormone, testicular histopathology, mRNA and protein expression of AMPK/Sirt1/PGC-1α in both testicular tissue and isolated Leydig cells (LCs) were measured. Compared with the ND animals, the WT HFD hamsters developed dyslipidemia at three weeks with lipid droplets deposited in LCs, testosterone decreased at four weeks (0.440 ± 0.264 ng/ml vs. 2.367 ± 1.236 ng/ml), the number of the Sertoli cells decreased (21.578 ± 2.934/one tubule vs. 25.733 ± 3.424/one tubule), the seminiferous epithelium became thinner (0.0813 ± 0.01729 mm vs. 0.0944 ± 0.0138 mm), testicular atrophy and AMPK/Sirt1/PGC-1α pathway downregulated at five weeks. All these changes persisted until the end of the study. LDLR+/- alleviated all of the above changes by downregulating the cellular influx of cholesterol induced by HFD except for higher hyperlipidemia. In summary, excessive intracellular cholesterol inactivates AMPK/Sirt1/PGC-1α pathway firstly in LCs and then in both Sertoli and spermatids. Cholesterol toxicity was LDLR dependent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Bai
- Department of Pathology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Naiheng Hei
- Department of Pathology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China; The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Mingming Gao
- Laboratory of Lipid Metabolism, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Xiaohui Dong
- Department of Pathology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Mingzhao Li
- Department of Pathology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Shaohao Jiang
- School of Pharmacy, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Lianshan Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China.
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Kalfas T, Kaltsas A, Symeonidis EN, Symeonidis A, Zikopoulos A, Moustakli E, Tsiampali C, Tsampoukas G, Palapela N, Zachariou A, Sofikitis N, Dimitriadis F. COVID-19 and Male Infertility: Is There a Role for Antioxidants? Antioxidants (Basel) 2023; 12:1483. [PMID: 37627478 PMCID: PMC10451649 DOI: 10.3390/antiox12081483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), jeopardizes male fertility because of the vulnerability of the male reproductive system, especially the testes. This study evaluates the effects of the virus on testicular function and examines the potential role of antioxidants in mitigating the damage caused by oxidative stress (OS). A comprehensive PubMed search examined exocrine and endocrine testicular function alteration, the interplay between OS and COVID-19-induced defects, and the potential benefit of antioxidants. Although the virus is rarely directly detectable in sperm and testicular tissue, semen quality and hormonal balance are affected in patients, with some changes persisting throughout a spermatogenesis cycle. Testicular pathology in deceased patients shows defects in spermatogenesis, vascular changes, and inflammation. Acute primary hypogonadism is observed mainly in severely infected cases. Elevated OS and sperm DNA fragmentation markers suggest redox imbalance as a possible mechanism behind the fertility changes. COVID-19 vaccines appear to be safe for male fertility, but the efficacy of antioxidants to improve sperm quality after infection remains unproven due to limited research. Given the limited and inconclusive evidence, careful evaluation of men recovering from COVID-19 seeking fertility improvement is strongly recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Aris Kaltsas
- Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece; (A.K.); (A.Z.); (E.M.); (A.Z.); (N.S.)
| | - Evangelos N. Symeonidis
- Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece; (E.N.S.); (A.S.)
| | - Asterios Symeonidis
- Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece; (E.N.S.); (A.S.)
| | - Athanasios Zikopoulos
- Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece; (A.K.); (A.Z.); (E.M.); (A.Z.); (N.S.)
| | - Efthalia Moustakli
- Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece; (A.K.); (A.Z.); (E.M.); (A.Z.); (N.S.)
| | | | - Georgios Tsampoukas
- Department of Urology, Oxford University Hospital NHS Trust, Oxford OX3 7LE, UK;
| | - Natalia Palapela
- Medical Faculty, Medical University of Sofia, 1431 Sofia, Bulgaria;
| | - Athanasios Zachariou
- Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece; (A.K.); (A.Z.); (E.M.); (A.Z.); (N.S.)
| | - Nikolaos Sofikitis
- Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece; (A.K.); (A.Z.); (E.M.); (A.Z.); (N.S.)
| | - Fotios Dimitriadis
- Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece; (E.N.S.); (A.S.)
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Attenuation of the Severity of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome by Pomiferin through Blocking Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in an AKT/Foxo1 Pathway-Dependent Manner. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2022; 2022:5236908. [PMID: 36471865 PMCID: PMC9719418 DOI: 10.1155/2022/5236908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 09/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) gives rise to uncontrolled inflammatory response and oxidative stress, causing very high mortality globally. Pomiferin is a kind of prenylated isoflavonoid extracted from Maclura pomifera, owning anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. However, the functions and possible mechanisms of pomiferin in lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) induced ARDS remain unknown. C57BL/6 mice were injected with LPS (5 mg/kg) intratracheally to induce an in vivo ARDS model while RAW264.7 macrophages were stimulated with LPS (100 ng/ml) to induce an in vitro model. Our data demonstrated that pomiferin (20 mg/kg) significantly improved pulmonary function and lung pathological injury in mice with ARDS, apart from increasing survival rate. Meanwhile, pomiferin treatment also inhibited LPS-induced inflammation as well as oxidative stress in lung tissues. LPS stimulation significantly activated AKT/Foxo1 signal pathway in lung tissues, which could be reversed after pomiferin treatment. In vitro experiments further showed that 10, 20, and 50 μM of pomiferin could enhance cell viability of RAW264.7 macrophages stimulated with LPS. What is more, 3-deoxysappanchalcone (3-DE), one AKT agonist, was used to active AKT in RAW264.7 macrophages. The results further showed that 3-DE could abolish pomiferin-elicited protection in LPS-treated RAW264.7 macrophages, evidenced by activated inflammation and oxidative stress. Taken together, our study showed that pomiferin could exert an ARDS-protective effect by blocking the AKT/Foxo1 signal pathway to inhibit LPS-induced inflammatory response and oxidative injury, which may serve as a potential candidate for the treatment of ARDS in the future.
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