Pathophysiology of Seminal Oxidative Stress

Reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced oxidative stress (OS) is known to play an important role in male factor infertility. In physiological quantities, ROS are essential requirements for sperm processes leading to successful fertilization. However, spermatozoa are particularly sensitive to the harmful effects of excess ROS, which can influence membrane integrity, motility, and ability to fertilize oocytes. High levels of ROS can also be the main cause of sperm DNA fragmentation. In this review, we discuss the role of ROS and OS in male infertility. We also analyze the methods to assess redox status in semen, the main redox biomarkers, and the treatment of OS-related male infertility, such as antioxidant supplementation and varicocelectomy. Finally, we deal with the integrated analysis of omics data for the study of male infertility.