Crafa Andrea, Cannarella Rossella, Calogero Aldo E, Gunes Sezgin, Agarwal Ashok
Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy.
Global Andrology Forum, Moreland Hills, OH 44022, USA.
Life (Basel). 2024 Jun 26;14(7):803. doi: 10.3390/life14070803.
In recent decades, we have witnessed a progressive decline in male fertility. This is partly related to the increased prevalence of chronic diseases (e.g., obesity and diabetes mellitus) and risky lifestyle behaviors. These conditions alter male fertility through various non-genetic mechanisms. However, there is increasing evidence that they are also capable of causing sperm epigenetic alterations, which, in turn, can cause infertility. Furthermore, these modifications could be transmitted to offspring, altering their general and reproductive health. Therefore, these epigenetic modifications could represent one of the causes of the progressive decline in sperm count recorded in recent decades. This review focuses on highlighting epigenetic modifications at the sperm level induced by non-genetic causes of infertility. In detail, the effects on DNA methylation, histone modifications, and the expression profiles of non-coding RNAs are evaluated. Finally, a focus on the risk of transgenerational inheritance is presented. Our narrative review aims to demonstrate how certain conditions can alter gene expression, potentially leading to the transmission of anomalies to future generations. It emphasizes the importance of the early detection and treatment of reversible conditions (such as obesity and varicocele) and the modification of risky lifestyle behaviors. Addressing these issues is crucial for individual health, in preserving fertility, and in ensuring the well-being of future generations.
近几十年来，我们目睹了男性生育能力的逐渐下降。这部分与慢性病（如肥胖症和糖尿病）患病率的增加以及危险的生活方式行为有关。这些情况通过各种非遗传机制改变男性生育能力。然而，越来越多的证据表明，它们也能够导致精子表观遗传改变，进而可能导致不育。此外，这些修饰可能会传递给后代，改变他们的总体健康和生殖健康。因此，这些表观遗传修饰可能是近几十年来精子数量逐渐下降的原因之一。本综述着重强调由不育的非遗传原因引起的精子水平的表观遗传修饰。详细评估了对DNA甲基化、组蛋白修饰和非编码RNA表达谱的影响。最后，阐述了对跨代遗传风险的关注。我们的叙述性综述旨在展示某些情况如何改变基因表达，可能导致异常传递给后代。它强调了早期发现和治疗可逆性疾病（如肥胖症和精索静脉曲张）以及改变危险生活方式行为的重要性。解决这些问题对于个人健康、维持生育能力以及确保后代的福祉至关重要。
