UMR GReD CNRS 6247, INSERM U931, Clermont Université, Equipe Epididyme et maturation des gamètes', Aubière cedex 63171, France.
Asian J Androl. 2011 Jan;13(1):11-7. doi: 10.1038/aja.2010.64. Epub 2010 Nov 1.
Cholesterol, being the starting point of steroid hormone synthesis, is a long known modulator of both female and male reproductive physiology especially at the level of the gonads and the impact cholesterol has on gametogenesis. Less is known about the effects cholesterol homeostasis may have on postgonadic reproductive functions. Lately, several data have been reported showing how imbalanced cholesterol levels may particularly affect the post-testicular events of sperm maturation that lead to fully fertile male gametes. This review will focus on that aspect and essentially centers on how cholesterol is important for the physiology of the mammalian epididymis and spermatozoa.
胆固醇是甾体激素合成的起点，它长期以来一直是雌性和雄性生殖生理学的调节剂，尤其是在性腺水平上，胆固醇对配子发生有影响。关于胆固醇稳态可能对性腺后生殖功能的影响知之甚少。最近，有几项数据报道表明，胆固醇水平失衡如何特别影响精子成熟的睾丸后事件，导致完全有活力的雄性配子。这篇综述将集中在这一方面，主要集中在胆固醇对哺乳动物附睾和精子的生理学的重要性。
