The Fertility Centre, Priory Hospital, Priory Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B5 7UG, UK.
Environ Toxicol Pharmacol. 2001 Sep;10(4):189-98. doi: 10.1016/s1382-6689(01)00099-0.
The cellular components of the human reproductive system are as vulnerable as other cells to the potential detrimental effects of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Antioxidant protection is thus required, though not yet fully characterized, at sites of gametogenesis, fertilization and implantation. Spermatozoa are highly susceptible to oxidative damage due to the high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids within their plasma membrane and such damage may underlie certain aspects of male infertility. However, oral antioxidant therapy with, for example, Vitamin E or glutathione has to date only achieved limited success in treatment programmes. Infertility treatments involve in vitro manipulation of gametes and embryos, ranging from simple spermatozoa preparation techniques to several days culture, exposing cells to increased oxygen levels and potential oxidative stress compared with in vivo. A considerable body of data has demonstrated the benefits for animal embryo culture and human sperm preparation of antioxidant supplementation as well as the removal of sources of ROS such as leucocytes, although data supporting supplementation for human embryo culture are limited. However, the use of exogenous superoxide dismutase may improve embryo development to the blastocyst stage. Evidence is accumulating for a role for ROS in signalling events mediating both sperm capacitation and luteal function. Potential also exists for ROS (including nitric oxide) to fulfill as yet unidentified roles in modulation signalling, gene expression and/or apoptotic events during fertilization, embryo development and implantation. Increasing knowledge of the mechanisms whereby ROS and endogenous antioxidant systems influence reproductive processes can assist to optimise the application of exogenous antioxidants to fertility treatment.
人体生殖系统的细胞成分与其他细胞一样，容易受到活性氧（ROS）的潜在有害影响。因此，需要抗氧化保护，尽管目前尚未完全阐明，但在配子发生、受精和着床部位需要这种保护。由于精子质膜中含有大量多不饱和脂肪酸，因此容易受到氧化损伤，这种损伤可能是某些男性不育症的原因之一。然而，迄今为止，口服抗氧化剂治疗（例如维生素 E 或谷胱甘肽）仅在治疗方案中取得了有限的成功。不孕治疗涉及对配子和胚胎的体外操作，从简单的精子制备技术到几天的培养，与体内相比，细胞暴露于更高的氧气水平和潜在的氧化应激下。大量数据表明，抗氧化剂补充以及去除白细胞等 ROS 来源（例如白细胞）对动物胚胎培养和人类精子制备有益，尽管支持人类胚胎培养的补充数据有限。然而，外源性超氧化物歧化酶的使用可能会改善胚胎发育到囊胚阶段。越来越多的证据表明，ROS 在介导精子获能和黄体功能的信号事件中发挥作用。ROS（包括一氧化氮）在受精、胚胎发育和着床过程中的信号转导、基因表达和/或细胞凋亡事件的调节中可能具有尚未确定的作用。对 ROS 和内源性抗氧化系统影响生殖过程的机制的深入了解，可以帮助优化外源性抗氧化剂在生育治疗中的应用。
