Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, I-73100 Lecce, Italy.
Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Feb 25;23(5):2542. doi: 10.3390/ijms23052542.
Diet might affect male reproductive potential, but the biochemical mechanisms involved in the modulation of sperm quality remain poorly understood. While a Western diet is considered a risk factor for male infertility, the Mediterranean diet seems to protect against male infertility; moreover, the role of a vegetarian habitus in the preservation of sperm quality is controversial. The aim of this review is to analyze the molecular effects of single nutrients on sperm quality, focusing on their involvement in biochemical mechanisms related to sperm bioenergetics. It appears that diets rich in saturated fatty acids (SFA) and low in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) negatively affect sperm quality, whereas unsaturated fatty acids supplementation ameliorates sperm quality. In fact, the administration of PUFA, especially omega-3 PUFA, determined an increase in mitochondrial energetic metabolism and a reduction in oxidative damage. Carbohydrates and proteins are also nutritional modulators of oxidative stress and testosterone levels, which are strictly linked to sperm mitochondrial function, a key element for sperm quality. Moreover, many dietary natural polyphenols differentially affect (positively or negatively) the mitochondrial function, depending on their concentration. We believe that an understanding of the biochemical mechanisms responsible for sperm quality will lead to more targeted and effective therapeutics for male infertility.
饮食可能会影响男性的生殖能力，但调节精子质量的生化机制仍知之甚少。虽然西式饮食被认为是男性不育的一个危险因素，但地中海饮食似乎能预防男性不育；此外，素食习惯在保护精子质量方面的作用存在争议。本综述的目的是分析单一营养素对精子质量的分子影响，重点关注它们在与精子生物能量学相关的生化机制中的作用。富含饱和脂肪酸（SFA）和低多不饱和脂肪酸（PUFA）的饮食似乎会对精子质量产生负面影响，而不饱和脂肪酸的补充则能改善精子质量。事实上，PUFA 的给予，特别是 ω-3 PUFA，可增加线粒体能量代谢并减少氧化损伤。碳水化合物和蛋白质也是氧化应激和睾酮水平的营养调节剂，而后者与精子线粒体功能密切相关，后者是精子质量的关键因素。此外，许多膳食天然多酚根据其浓度不同，对线粒体功能有不同的影响（正面或负面）。我们相信，对精子质量负责的生化机制的理解将导致针对男性不育的更有针对性和更有效的治疗方法。
