Department of Urology, People's Hospital of Beiliu, Beiliu, P. R. China.
Scientific Review Branch, Division of Extramural Research and Training, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Durham, NC, U.S.A.
In Vivo. 2022 Sep-Oct;36(5):2002-2013. doi: 10.21873/invivo.12926.
The process of fertilization includes sperm capacitation, hyperactivation, an acrosome reaction and the release of acrosome enzymes, membrane fusion and channel formation, the release of the sperm nucleus, and gamete fusion. This process is closely related to the shape and vitality of the sperm, acrosome enzyme release, and the zona pellucida structure of the egg, as well as the opening and closing of various ion (e.g., calcium) channels, the regulation of signaling pathways such as cyclic adenosine monophosphate-protein kinase A, the release of progesterone, and the coupling of G-proteins. The interaction among multiple factors and their precise regulation give rise to multiple cascading regulatory processes. Problems with any factor will affect the success rate of fertilization. Recent studies have shown that with rapid societal development, the incidence of male infertility is increasing and occurs at younger ages. According to World Health Organization statistics, 15% of couples of childbearing ages have infertility problems, of which 50% are caused by male factors. Additionally, the cause of infertility cannot be identified in as many as 60% to 75% of male infertility patients. In this article, we review the research progress on the microregulation of fertilization and mechanisms underlying this process to identify causes and develop novel prevention and treatment strategies for male infertility.
受精过程包括精子获能、超激活、顶体反应和顶体酶释放、膜融合和通道形成、精子核释放以及配子融合。这个过程与精子的形态和活力、顶体酶释放以及卵子透明带的结构密切相关，还涉及各种离子（如钙）通道的开闭、环磷酸腺苷-蛋白激酶 A 信号通路的调节、孕酮的释放以及 G 蛋白的偶联。多种因素的相互作用及其精确调控产生了多个级联的调控过程。任何因素出现问题都会影响受精的成功率。最近的研究表明，随着社会的快速发展，男性不育的发病率正在增加，且发病年龄也越来越年轻。根据世界卫生组织的统计，15%的育龄夫妇存在不孕问题，其中 50%是由男性因素引起的。此外，多达 60%至 75%的男性不育患者的病因无法确定。本文就受精的微观调控及其机制的研究进展进行综述，以明确病因，并为男性不育症的防治提供新的策略。
