Male Sex Hormones, Metabolic Syndrome, and Aquaporins: A Triad of Players in Male (in)Fertility

• Type: Another Publication in an International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2023

Authors

Nunes, DC (Author) Other; Ribeiro, JC (Author) Other; Alves, MG (Author) Other; Oliveira, PF (Author) Other; Bernardino, RL (Author) ICBAS

Journal

Title: International Journal Of Molecular Sciences

Vol. 24 No. 2335

ISSN: 1661-6596

Publisher: MDPI

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 0 Citations

Scopus

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00X-YKD

DOI: 10.3390/ijms24031960

Abstract (EN): Infertility is becoming a chronic and emerging problem in the world. There is a resistant stigma that this health condition is mostly due to the female, although the literature supports that the responsibility for the onset of infertility is equally shared between both sexes in more or less equal proportions. Nevertheless, male sex hormones, particularly testosterone (T), are key players in male-related infertility. Indeed, hypogonadism, which is also characterized by changes in T levels, is one of the most common causes of male infertility and its incidence has been interconnected to the increased prevalence of metabolic diseases. Recent data also highlight the role of aquaporin (AQP)-mediated water and solute diffusion and the metabolic homeostasis in testicular cells suggesting a strong correlation between AQPs function, metabolism of testicular cells, and infertility. Indeed, recent studies showed that both metabolic and sexual hormone concentrations can change the expression pattern and function of AQPs. Herein, we review up-to-date information on the involvement of AQP-mediated function and permeability in men with metabolic syndrome and testosterone deficit, highlighting the putative mechanisms that show an interaction between sex hormones, AQPs, and metabolic syndrome that may contribute to male infertility.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 15