Department of Experimental Medicine, Policlinico Umberto I, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome 00161, Italy.
Asian J Androl. 2011 Sep;13(5):690-7. doi: 10.1038/aja.2010.183. Epub 2011 Jun 20.
In recent years, many studies have focused on the effect of oxidative stress, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidants on the male eproductive system. Under physiological conditions, sperm produces small amounts of ROS, which are needed for fertilisation, acrosome reaction and capacitation. However, if an increased production of ROS is not associated with a similar increase in scavenging systems, peroxidative damage of the sperm plasma membrane and loss of DNA integrity typically occur, which leads to cell death and reduced fertility. Furthermore, since there is no linear correlation between sperm quality and pregnancy rates, an improvement in semen parameters should not be the sole outcome considered in studies of antioxidant therapies. A definitive conclusion regarding the benefit of these therapies is difficult to obtain, as most of the previous studies lacked control groups, considered different antioxidants in different combinations and doses, or did not evaluate pregnancy rates in previously infertile couples. Even if beneficial effects were reported in a few cases of male infertility, more multicentre, double-blind studies performed with the same criteria are necessary for an increased understanding of the effects of various antioxidants on fertility.
近年来，许多研究都集中在氧化应激、活性氧（ROS）和抗氧化剂对男性生殖系统的影响上。在生理条件下，精子会产生少量 ROS，这对于受精、顶体反应和获能是必需的。然而，如果 ROS 的产生增加而清除系统没有相应增加，精子质膜的过氧化损伤和 DNA 完整性的丧失通常会发生，这会导致细胞死亡和生育能力下降。此外，由于精子质量和妊娠率之间没有线性相关性，因此在抗氧化治疗研究中，不应仅将精液参数的改善作为唯一的结果来考虑。由于大多数先前的研究缺乏对照组，考虑了不同的抗氧化剂以不同的组合和剂量，或者没有评估先前不育夫妇的妊娠率，因此很难得出这些治疗方法有益的明确结论。即使在少数男性不育症的情况下报告了有益的效果，但仍需要进行更多具有相同标准的多中心、双盲研究，以更好地了解各种抗氧化剂对生育能力的影响。
