Endocrine Abstracts

IntroductionMetabolic homeostasis in the testis is essential for a healthy spermatogenesis. Insulin is regarded as one of the most important intervenients in the metabolic regulation of spermatogenesis, where it acts directly on the differentiation of spermatogonia into primary spermatocytes or indirectly through the metabolic modulation of Sertoli cells. Additionally, insulin is hypothesized to play a major role on human spermatozoa capacitation, althou...

Infertility is a growing concern in Western countries. Several factors, including lifestyle habits and increased prevalence of chronic disorders associated with hormonal alterations, increased chronic inflammation and systemic oxidative stress (such as obesity and diabetes mellitus), are contributing to the reduction of reproductive potential among males in modern societies. Evidence suggests these factors negatively impact human sperm quality resulting in a combination of alt...

Introduction: Mitochondrial uncoupling proteins (UCPs) are mitochondrial transmembrane channels belonging to the anion carrier family. Six UCP homologues (UCP1-6) had been identified with a ubiquitous distribution throughout the body and many different physiological functions. UCPs are important regulators of several biological processes, including thermogenesis, oxidative phosphorylation, ROS production, as well as cellular metabolism. However, the knowledge concerning the mo...

Infertility is a global health problem that affects about 15% of couples and approximately half of infertility cases are associated with male factors. Oxidative Stress (OS) is reported as one of the major causes of male infertility, mainly due to spermatozoa’s vulnerability to the attack of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Infertile couples often recur to assisted reproductive technology (ART) to achieve a successful pregnancy. However, ART protocols also increase the expos...

Infertility affects about 15% of couples, and, among these, 50% are related to the male factor. Male infertility can be caused by intrinsic factors, and these may either directly or indirectly affect gamete and testicular development as a consequence of endocrinopathies. In that sense, research regarding the involvement of endocrine hormones, particularly of nutritional status-linked hormones, in the male reproductive system has increased over the years. In fact, the rise on t...