Condorelli R A, Calogero A E, Vicari E, La Vignera S
Section of Endocrinology, Andrology and Internal Medicine, Department of Medical and Pediatric Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
Andrologia. 2015 May;47(4):368-79. doi: 10.1111/and.12284. Epub 2014 Apr 27.
The present article describes the recent clinical experience and the main clinical and experimental evidences on this topic. In the first part, we present retrospective data collected over the last year on the semen quality and hormonal characteristics of the alcohol consumers evaluated in our centre. In the second part, we describe the mechanisms by which chronic alcohol intoxication impairs the testicular function (evidences for an ethanol-mediated effect at pre-testicular/testicular and post-testicular level). In the third part, we present data on ethanol taken a male risk factor of infertility, being present as one among other recreational drugs (also called lifestyle). Finally, is discussed the role of individual susceptibility factors and other variables.
