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Individuals suffering from asthenospermia, an infertility disorder, have reduced sperm motility. This study's goal was to identify the impacts of diverse photobiomodulation procedures on the motility of sperm in vitro in patients with asthenospermia, either in isolation or in combination with Apigenin. At 633 nm and 808 nm, the lasers are used with multiple dose values (0.6, 1.2, and 2.4) J/cm 2 and altering Apigenin concentrations (5, 10, 25, and 50 μM). All of the photobiomodulation procedures were assessed. Assessing factors were the DNA fragmentation index, sperm viability, as well as progressive sperm motility. The progressive sperm motility results for 633 nm and 808 nm show a significant increase over 633 nm + 808 nm after 60 min after irradiation. Sperm motility increased more quickly under the 808 nm procedure than under the other procedures (p < 0.02). The observation of progressive sperm motility indicated that a 10 μM concentration of Apigenin created higher results than other concentrations (p < 0.01). Apigenin with 808 nm at 1.2 J/cm 2 resulted in better sperm motility (p < 0.01) and decreased DNA fragmentation index. There was a notable increase (p < 0.05) in the DNA fragmentation index with the 633 nm + 808 nm procedure. At a 10 μM concentration of Apigenin, the DNA fragmentation index was lower than at a 50 μM concentration (p < 0.02). Neither Apigenin nor photobiomodulation significantly decreased sperm viability. The study suggests that asthenozoospermia patients may benefit from apigenin utilized alongside photobiomodulation, while further investigation is required., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to the European Photochemistry Association, European Society for Photobiology.)

Abstract: Male infertility is a global issue caused by poor sperm quality, particularly motility. Enhancement of the sperm quality may improve the fertilization rate in assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment. Scriptaid, with a novel human sperm motility-stimulating activity, has been investigated as a prospective agent for improving sperm quality and fertilization rate in ART. We evaluated the effects of Scriptaid on asthenozoospermic (AZS) semen, including its impact on motility stimulation and protective effects on cryopreservation and duration of motility, by computer-aided sperm analysis (CASA). Sperm quality improvement by Scriptaid was characterized by increased hyaluronan-binding activity, tyrosine phosphorylation, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) concentration, mitochondrial membrane potential, and an ameliorated AZS fertilization rate in clinical intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) experiments. Furthermore, our identification of active Scriptaid analogs and different metabolites induced by Scriptaid in spermatozoa lays a solid foundation for the future biomechanical exploration of sperm function. In summary, Scriptaid is a potential candidate for the treatment of male infertility in vitro as it improves sperm quality, prolongs sperm viability, and increases the fertilization rate., (Copyright © 2024 Copyright: ©The Author(s)(2024).)

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic metabolic disease that predisposes to chronic damage and dysfunction of various organs, including leading to erectile dysfunction (ED) and asthenospermia. Literature suggests that ginseng plays an important role in the treatment and management of DM. Ginseng may have a therapeutic effect on the complications of DM-induced ED and asthenospermia. The study aimed to explore the mechanisms of ginseng in the treatment of DM-induced ED and asthenospermia following the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory of "treating different diseases with the same treatment." This study used network pharmacology and molecular docking to examine the potential targets and pharmacological mechanism of Ginseng for the treatment of DM-induced ED and asthenospermia. The chemical ingredients and targets of ginseng were acquired using the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology database and analysis platform. The targets of DM, ED, and asthenospermia were extracted with the GeneCards and Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man databases. A protein-protein interaction network analysis was constructed. The Metascape platform was applied for analyzing the gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways. AutoDock Vina was used to perform molecular docking. Network pharmacology revealed that the main active components of the target of action were kaempferol, beta-sitosterol, ginsenoside rh2, stigmasterol, and fumarine. Core targets of the protein-protein interaction network included TNF, IL-1β, AKT1, PTGS2, BCL2, and JUN. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis showed that they were mainly involved in AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications, TNF signaling pathway, Lipid and atherosclerosis. The interactions of core active components and targets were analyzed by molecular docking. Ginseng may play a comprehensive therapeutic role in the treatment of DM-induced ED and asthenospermia through "multicomponent, multi-target, and multi-pathway" biological mechanisms such as inflammation and oxidative stress., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Phoenix dactylifera L. pollen is the male reproductive dust of palm flowers known as a natural product that is considered a strong stimulant of sexual potency and fertility in Iranian traditional medicine (ITM). In this regard, no evidence-based medications are empirically prescribed to treat IMI. However, applying traditional medicine for the treatment of male infertility has attracted more attention in recent years., Aim of the Study: Phoenix dactylifera L. pollen was compared with pentoxifylline (PTX) to evaluate its efficacy on sperm parameters., Materials and Methods: During this parallel randomized controlled trial, 80 adult men with asthenozoospermia, oligozoospermia, or teratozoospermia (age 20-35 years) were enrolled. In two separate groups of participants with a 1:1 ratio, participants received either 6 g of Phoenix dactylifera L. pollen powder daily or 400 mg of PTX tablets daily for 90 days. We measured the sperm parameters as well as the serum sex hormones in the sample. ANCOVA and t-tests were used to compare groups., Results: There was no significant difference between the study groups in terms of baseline characteristics or demographic characteristics. According to the results, participants who took Phoenix dactylifera L. pollen powder had significantly improved sperm concentration (p = 0.016), morphology (p = 0.029), sperm counts (p = 0.012), progressive motility (p = 0.016), total motility (p = 0.018), and reduced immotile sperms (p = 0.014) compared to those who took PTX., Conclusions: In light of these results, Phoenix dactylifera L. pollen is recommended as a treatment factor for ameliorating IMI by enhancing sperm functional capacity and semen parameters., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Aim: The aim of this study is the evaluation effect of nanoliposome-loaded Mito-Tempo on sperm parameters during human sperm cryopreservation., Methods: Semen samples of 50 Asthenoteratozoospermia men (random) were collected. Sperm parameters were analyzed based on World Health Organization (WHO, 2010) criteria (2021) and each sample was divided into 5 groups (E1-E5). E1 (control group): the sperm was cryopreserved without nanoliposome, and Mito-Tempo. E2: sperm cryopreservation with Mito-Tempo-loaded nanoliposome (Mito-Tempo 0.1 mM) + freezing medium. E3: sperm cryopreservation with Mito-Tempo-loaded nanoliposome (Mito-Tempo 0.2 mM) + freezing medium. E4: in this group, the cryopreservation sperm with Mito-Tempo 0.3 mM + freezing medium. E5: the cryopreservation sperm with Mito-Tempo 0.2 mM + freezing medium., Results: The result of this study indicated that sperm parameters and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) significantly increase in E3 and E4 groups, compared to E1, E2, and E5 groups respectively (P < 0.05). The percentage of abnormal morphology, DNA fragmentation index (DFI), malondialdehyde (MDA), and the levels of ROS significantly decrease in E3 and E4 groups, compared to E1, E2, and E5 groups (P < 0.05). In addition, the sperm parameters and stress oxidative factors significantly improve in E3 group compared to other groups (P < 0.05)., Conclusions: In conclusion, the combination of Mito-Tempo with nanoliposome due to its ability to cooperate with lipid layers may lead to significant performance in reducing oxidative stress damage and increasing the quality of sperm parameters., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Oligoasthenozoospermia is the most common type of semen abnormality in male infertile patients. Betaine (BET) has been proved to have pharmacological effects on improving semen quality. BET also belongs to endogenous physiological active substances in the testis. However, the physiological function of BET in rat testis and its pharmacological mechanism against oligoasthenozoospermia remain unclear., Purpose: This research aims to prove the therapeutic effect and potential mechanism of BET on oligoasthenozoospermia rat model induced by Tripterygium wilfordii glycosides (TWGs)., Methods: The oligoasthenozoospermia rat model was established by a continuous gavage of TWGs (60 mg/kg) for 28 days. Negative control group, oligoasthenozoospermia group, positive drug group (levocarnitine, 300 mg/kg), and 200 mg/kg, 400 mg/kg, and 800 mg/kg BET groups were created for exploring the therapeutic effect of BET on the oligoasthenozoospermia rat model. The therapeutic effect was evaluated by HE and TUNEL staining. Immunofluorescence assay of DNMT3A, PIWIL1, PRMT5, SETDB1, BHMT2, and METTL3, methylation capture sequencing, Pi-RNA sequencing, and molecular docking were used to elucidate potential pharmacological mechanisms., Results: It is proved that BET can significantly restore testicular pathological damage induced by TWGs, which also can significantly reverse the apoptosis of spermatogenic cells. The spermatogenic cell protein expression levels of DNMT3A, PIWIL1, PRMT5, SETDB1, BHMT2, and METTL3 significantly decreased in oligoasthenozoospermia group. 400 mg/kg and 800 mg/kg BET groups can significantly increase expression level of the above-mentioned proteins. Methylation capture sequencing showed that BET can significantly increase the 5mC methylation level of Spata, Spag, and Specc spermatogenesis-related genes. Pi-RNA sequencing proved that the above-mentioned genes produce a large number of Pi-RNA under BET intervention. Pi-RNA can form complexes with PIWI proteins to participate in DNA methylation of target genes. Molecular docking indicated that BET may not directly act as substrate for methyltransferase and instead participates in DNA methylation by promoting the methionine cycle and increasing S-adenosylmethionine synthesis., Conclusion: BET has a significant therapeutic effect on oligoasthenozoospermia rat model induced by TWPs. The mechanism mainly involves that BET can increase the methylation level of Spata, Specc, and Spag target genes through the PIWI/Pi-RNA pathway and up-regulation of methyltransferases (including DNA methyltransferases and histone methyltransferases)., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

Asthenospermia is a predominant cause of male infertility, and antioxidant supplements can be effective in treating asthenospermia. We demonstrate the antioxidant potential of traditional Chinese medicine, the Yishenhuoxue (YSHX) formula, in treating polyglycosides of Tripterygium wilfordii (GTW)-induced asthenospermia in rats. Fifty male rats were randomly divided into the normal, model, and treatment groups. HE staining was used to evaluate the improvement of spermatogenic function of rats, and TBA reaction, qRT-PCR, Western Blot and other methods were used to determine the changes of oxidative stress indicators and to evaluate the improvement of antioxidant capacity of rats by YSHX. Comparison with the model group showed significant improvement in pathological damage caused by GTW to seminiferous tubules. MDA and NO content in rat testes decreased, especially in middle- and high-dosage groups. No significant changes were observed in SOD and CAT activity or mRNA expression. GSH-Px activity and GSH mRNA expression were significantly higher in the low-dosage group than in the model group. Compared to the model group, GR activity was significantly lower in the middle and high dosage groups, while the mRNA expression was higher. The PKC-beta level increased, while p-ERK1/2, NF-κB, and the ratio of p-ERK1/2*(ERK1/2)-1 decreased significantly in the treatment groups. Therefore, YSHX can alleviate GTW-induced testicular damage, enhance GSH-Px activity, regulate GSH redox cycling, and mitigate oxidative stress injury. Furthermore, YSHX can promote PKC-beta expression and inhibit the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and NF-κB. Using YSHX may be an effective way to increase sperm motility via the PKC-ERK1/2-NF-ĸB axis.

Objective: To observe the effect and safety of the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) Linggui Formula (LGF) in the treatment of asthenospermia with kidney deficiency and blood stasis., Methods: This randomized controlled trial included 90 cases of asthenospermia with kidney deficiency and blood stasis treated in our hospital from September 2022 to September 2023, 45 by oral medication with LGF (the trial group) and the other 45 with oral levocarnitine solution (the control group), all for 12 weeks. We followed up the patients for 12 weeks, recorded the semen parameters, TCM syndrome scores, sexual hormone levels, pregnancy rates, and DNA fragmentation index (DFI) of the patients, and compared them between the two groups before and after treatment., Results: Totally, 82 of the patients completed the study, 42 in the trial and 40 in the control group. After treatment, the patients in the trial group showed significant increases in the percentage of progressively motile sperm (PMS) (from ［19.25±3.08］% to ［38.57±4.99］%, P< 0.05), total sperm motility (from ［32.29±3.64］% to ［46.50±4.77］%, P< 0.05) and sperm concentration (from ［83.9±37.2］ to ［95.1±34.9］× 10⁶/ml ］, P< 0.05), and so did the controls in PMS (from ［19.75±4.28］% to ［34.46±5.07］%, P< 0.05), total sperm motility (from ［33.02±4.93］% to ［43.11±4.72］%, P< 0.05) and sperm concentration (from ［85.2±39.7］ to ［88.1±35.2］ × 10⁶/ml , P< 0.05), all even more significant in the trial than in the control group (P< 0.05). No statistically significant difference was observed in the semen volume either in the trial (from ［3.38±0.38］ to ［3.24±0.45］ ml, P> 0.05) or in the control group (from ［3.46±0.52］ to ［3.30±0.37］ ml, P> 0.05), or between the trial and control groups (P> 0.05), or in the sexual hormone levels, pregnancy rates, and sperm DFI between the two groups before and after treatment (P> 0.05). Both groups of patients had good safety profiles without serious adverse reactions., Conclusion: Linggui Formula can improve the percentage of PMS in asthenospermia patients with kidney deficiency and blood stasis, potentially enhancing pregnancy rates and with a good safety.

Oxidative stress is one of the main mechanisms responsible for male infertility. Various conditions such as varicocele, obesity, advanced age, and lifestyle can lead to an increase in reactive oxygen species, causing an oxidative imbalance in the reproductive environment. Spermatozoa are sensitive to reactive oxygen species and require energy to carry out their main function of fertilizing the egg. Excessive reactive oxygen species can affect sperm metabolism, leading to immobility, impaired acrosome reaction, and cell death, thereby impairing reproductive success. This double-blind randomized study evaluated the effect of supplementation with L-carnitine, acetyl-L-carnitine, vitamins, and other nutrients on semen quality in 104 infertile patients with or without varicocele, while also investigating the impact of factors such as obesity and advanced age on treatment. Sperm concentration significantly increased in the supplemented group compared to the placebo group ( P = 0.0186). Total sperm count also significantly increased in the supplemented group ( P = 0.0117), as did sperm motility ( P = 0.0120). The treatment had a positive effect on patients up to 35 years of age in terms of sperm concentration ( P = 0.0352), while a body mass index (BMI) above 25 kg m -2 had a negative effect on sperm concentration ( P = 0.0110). Results were not showing a net benefit in stratifying patients in accordance with their BMI since sperm quality increase was not affected by this parameter. In conclusion, antioxidant supplementation may be beneficial for infertile patients and has a more positive effect on younger patients with a normal weight., (Copyright © 2024 Copyright: © The Author(s)(2024).)

Oligoasthenozoospermia (OAS) is one of the most common types of male infertility, which, however, still lacks effective treatment. An increasing number of studies have shown the potential therapeutic value of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (ω-3 PUFA) in the treatment of OAS. This article presents an overview of the studies on the effects of ω-3 PUFA on fatty acid composition and metabolism, inflammatory response, and oxidative stress in OAS, hoping to provide some new ideas for the treatment of the disease.

Although vitamin D deficiency is one of the most common health problems throughout the world, conflicting information exists on the potential association between serum vitamin D levels and semen quality. Currently available data identifies that vitamin D has a vital role in reproductive process as it affects sperm motility. This study was done with the rationality to evaluate the association between serum vitamin D levels with asthenozoospermic males. This cross-sectional analytic study was conducted on 314 men who attended the Department of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Bangladesh July 2018 to June 2019. Considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria all participants were categorized into two groups; Group I included 157 asthenozoospermic male and Group II included 157 normozoospermic male according to World Health Organization 'strict' criteria 2010. Participants completed the questionnaires after they had agreed on a informed consent. Blood and semen samples were obtained for assessment and all data were adjusted for age, body mass index (BMI), total motility and progressive motility. Vitamin D levels were classified according to the Endocrine Society guideline. Statistical analyses were carried out by using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 22.0 for Windows (SPSS Inc., Chicago, Illinois, USA). The results showed that the mean vitamin D level was 16.63±5.54ng/ml in asthenozoospermic group and 19.83±5.33ng/ml in normozoospermic group. The mean vitamin D level was significantly (p<0.05) lower in asthenozoospermic group. It was noticed that 86.6% patients had vitamin D deficiency (≤20ng/ml) in asthenozoospermic group compared to 56.7% in the normozoospermic group. The study found that low vitamin D was associated with a fivefold increased risk of developing asthenozoospermia at 95% CI (2.74-8.99). Moreover, there was a positive significant correlation (r=0.285; p<0.001) between serum vitamin D level with total motility and progressive motility (r=0.232; p<0.001). Hence, the study suggests a significant association between asthenozoospermia and low vitamin D levels. However, clinical trials are warranted to further reinforce the findings.

Background: Although antioxidants are largely used in subfertile men with oligo-astheno-teratozoospermia (OAT), the choice among different molecules is challenged by the lack of comparative head-to-head studies. The network meta-analysis (NMA) can overcome limitations of pairwise meta-analyses, since it incorporates direct and indirect evidence into a single model generating an effectiveness hierarchy., Objective: To assess with a NMA the effects of antioxidants in improving seminal parameters in idiopathic OAT., Materials and Methods: PubMed, Scopus, Cinahl, and Cochrane Library databases were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing any antioxidant treatment to each other or placebo in men with at least one idiopathic seminal abnormality. Data were included in a random-effects NMA, where efficacy of treatments was ranked by surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA)., Results: 29 RCTs provided information on 2045 men (mean age: 33.5 years) with idiopathic OAT and 19 antioxidant preparations. Compared to placebo, l-carnitine, especially in combination with l-acetyl-carnitine (LAC), had the highest SUCRA for sperm concentration, progressive motility, and morphology. Folate was the only other compound effective on sperm concentration. Vitamin E+selenium or zinc had the highest SUCRA for total motility. A contribution on progressive motility was revealed for pentoxifylline and vitamin E+CoQ10., (© 2023 American Society of Andrology and European Academy of Andrology.)

Background: Infertility is an inability to conceive after a reasonable period of time (12 months) without the use of contraception or due to a person's incapacity to procreate, whether independently or with a spouse. Problems with the production and maturation of sperm are the most common causes of male infertility additionally; the motility is the major functional character that determines the fertilizing ability of spermatozoa. Therefore the goal of this study is to get better certain sperm function parameters in vitro of asthenozoospermic patient., Objective: The World Health Organization (WHO) and many studies considered the infertility as a disease and so many couples complaining from unsuccessful assisted reproductive technologies (ART) procedures to overcome their problem. The goal of this study is to improve certain sperm function feature in vitro of asthenozoospermic semen patients by using combination of motility inducing namely; Maca, L-carnitine and Pentoxifylline that enhance the medium to improve certain sperm characters that might be utilized for ART centers., Methodology: Semen aliquots were collected from ninety patients with asthenozoospermia who participated in present study, the volume of semen samples with normal ejaculate when was ranged between 1.4-6ml and can be measured by using a measure pipette or conical graduated tube; Inclusion criteria was Asthenozoospermia, oligozoospermia and teratozoospermia men, Infertile idiopathic men also, fertile normozoospermic men. While Exclusion criteria was Azoospermic men, Alcoholic, Patients under treatment with antibiotics and men with Varicocele.The samples split into two equal groups at random. Using Ham's F12 medium, one portion served as the control group, and the other was the treatment group, which was mixing by combining the following ingredients, Maca powder extracts (Lepidium meyenii) (M) 1 mg/ml, 0.5 mg/ml of L-Carnitine (LC), and 10 mg/ml of Pentoxifylline (PTX). The data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0. The descriptive statistics including frequency, range, mean and standard error, Data from treated and control groups were expressed as mean ± SEM and to compare value between experimental and control groups using Students t-test. Layering approach is used to investigate sperm parameters before and after in vitro activation., Results: The information showed a very large (p< 0.001) increase in active sperm motility grade A, percentage of progressive motility with significant increase in morphologically normal sperm (MNS) with decreased in DNA fragmentation index after activation by layering technique with novel combination medium compared to Hams F12 medium and before activation., Conclusion: The present work stated that novel combination medium (LC, maca and PXT) have potential effects to improve sperm characters in male infertility factors and suggested to be used for sperm preparation and activation in ART programs.