Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-55f67697df-zh294 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-05-11T07:57:31.330Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Chapter 13 - Spermatogenesis – Diagnosis of Normal and Abnormal States

from Section 2 - Clinical Evaluation of the Infertile Male

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 July 2023

By
Mahmoud Mima  and
Richard A. Schoor
Edited by
Larry I. Lipshultz ,
Stuart S. Howards ,
Craig S. Niederberger  and
Dolores J. Lamb
Larry I. Lipshultz
Affiliation:
Baylor College of Medicine, Texas
Stuart S. Howards
Affiliation:
University of Virginia
Craig S. Niederberger
Affiliation:
University of Illinois, Chicago
Dolores J. Lamb
Affiliation:
Weill Cornell Medical College, New York
Get access

Summary

While we have no way to know exactly, Homo sapiens have probably had fertility problems for many thousands of years, though the causes ascribed to infertility have changed, as have the treatments. What has certainly changed over the millennia are the causes of male infertility and our understanding of these etiologies and, of course, the treatments for male infertility.

Type
Chapter
Information
Infertility in the Male , pp. 218 - 236
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Book purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Harari, YN. Sapiens : A Brief History of Humankind, 1st ed. New York, NY: Harper, 2015.Google Scholar
Montjean, D, et al. Sperm global DNA methylation level: association with semen parameters and genome integrity. Andrology 2015;3:235–40.Google Scholar
Rato, L, et al. Metabolic modulation induced by oestradiol and DHT in immature rat Sertoli cells cultured in vitro. Biosci Rep 2012;32:61–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Holdcraft, RW, Braun, RE. Androgen receptor function is required in Sertoli cells for the terminal differentiation of haploid spermatids. Development 2004;131:459–67.Google Scholar
Tapanainen, JS, et al. Men homozygous for an inactivating mutation of the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) receptor gene present variable suppression of spermatogenesis and fertility. Nat Genet 1997;15:205–6.Google Scholar
Huhtaniemi, I. A short evolutionary history of FSH-stimulated spermatogenesis. Hormones (Athens) 2015;14:468–78.Google Scholar
Madhwa Raj, HG, Dym, M. The effects of selective withdrawal of FSH or LH on spermatogenesis in the immature rat. Biol Reprod 1976;14:489–94.Google Scholar
Griffin, DK, et al. Transcriptional profiling of luteinizing hormone receptor-deficient mice before and after testosterone treatment provides insight into the hormonal control of postnatal testicular development and Leydig cell differentiation. Biol Reprod 2010;82:1139–50.Google Scholar
McLachlan, RI, et al. Identification of specific sites of hormonal regulation in spermatogenesis in rats, monkeys, and man. Recent Prog Horm Res 2002;57:149–79.Google Scholar
Griswold, MD. The central role of Sertoli cells in spermatogenesis. Semin Cell Dev Biol 1998;9:411–16.Google Scholar
Hess, RA, et al. Adult testicular enlargement induced by neonatal hypothyroidism is accompanied by increased Sertoli and germ cell numbers. Endocrinology 1993;132:2607–13.Google Scholar
Orth, JM, et al. Evidence from Sertoli cell-depleted rats indicates that spermatid number in adults depends on numbers of Sertoli cells produced during perinatal development. Endocrinology 1988;122:787–94.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Simorangkir, DR, et al. Increased numbers of Sertoli and germ cells in adult rat testes induced by synergistic action of transient neonatal hypothyroidism and neonatal hemicastration. J Reprod Fertil 1995;104:207–13.Google Scholar
Debeljuk, L, et al. Tachykinins and their possible modulatory role on testicular function: a review. Int J Androl 2003;26:202–10.Google Scholar
Alves, MG, et al. Metabolic cooperation in testis as a pharmacological target: from disease to contraception. Curr Mol Pharmacol 2014;7:83–95.Google Scholar
Setchell, BP, et al. Characteristics of testicular spermatozoa and the fluid which transports them into the epididymis. Biol Reprod 1969;1 Suppl 1:40–66.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rebourcet, D, et al. Sertoli cells control peritubular myoid cell fate and support adult Leydig cell development in the prepubertal testis. Development 2014;141:2139–49.Google Scholar
Dierich, A, et al. Impairing follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) signaling in vivo: targeted disruption of the FSH receptor leads to aberrant gametogenesis and hormonal imbalance. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 1998;95:13612–17.Google Scholar
Alves, MG, et al. Hormonal control of Sertoli cell metabolism regulates spermatogenesis. Cell Mol Life Sci 2013;70:777–93.Google Scholar
Li, H, et al. Regulation of rat testis gonocyte proliferation by platelet-derived growth factor and estradiol: identification of signaling mechanisms involved. Endocrinology 1997;138:1289–98.Google Scholar
O’Donnell, L, et al. Estrogen and spermatogenesis. Endocr Rev 2001;22:289–318.Google Scholar
Mishra, DP, Shaha, C. Estrogen-induced spermatogenic cell apoptosis occurs via the mitochondrial pathway: role of superoxide and nitric oxide. J Biol Chem 2005;280:6181–96.Google Scholar
Sharpe, RM, et al. Proliferation and functional maturation of Sertoli cells, and their relevance to disorders of testis function in adulthood. Reproduction 2003;125:769–84.Google Scholar
Ruwanpura, SM, et al. Hormonal regulation of male germ cell development. J Endocrinol 2010;205:117–31.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pierik, FH, et al. Serum inhibin B as a marker of spermatogenesis. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1998;83:3110–14.Google Scholar
Adamopoulos, D, et al. Assessment of Sertoli cell functional reserve and its relationship to sperm parameters. Int J Androl 2003;26:215–25.Google Scholar
von Eckardstein, S, et al. Serum inhibin B in combination with serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is a more sensitive marker than serum FSH alone for impaired spermatogenesis in men, but cannot predict the presence of sperm in testicular tissue samples. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1999;84:2496–501.Google Scholar
Harlev, A, et al. Smoking and male infertility: an evidence-based review. World J Mens Health, 2015;33:143–60.Google Scholar
Yu, B, et al. Smoking attenuated the association between IkappaBalpha rs696 polymorphism and defective spermatogenesis in humans. Andrologia 2015;47:987–94.Google Scholar
Metzler-Guillemain, C, et al. Sperm mRNAs and microRNAs as candidate markers for the impact of toxicants on human spermatogenesis: an application to tobacco smoking. Syst Biol Reprod Med 2015;61:139–49.Google Scholar
Osadchuk, LV, et al. [Effects of smoking and alcohol consumption on reproductive and metabolic indicators in young men in western siberia]. Urologiia 2017;4:62–7.Google Scholar
Esakky, P, Moley, KH. Paternal smoking and germ cell death: a mechanistic link to the effects of cigarette smoke on spermatogenesis and possible long-term sequelae in offspring. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2016;435:85–93.Google Scholar
Agirregoitia, E, et al. The CB(2) cannabinoid receptor regulates human sperm cell motility. Fertil Steril 2010;93:1378–87.Google Scholar
Gye, MC, et al. Expression of cannabinoid receptor 1 in mouse testes. Arch Androl 2005;51:247–55.Google Scholar
Matsuda, LA, et al. Localization of cannabinoid receptor mRNA in rat brain. J Comp Neurol 1993;327:535–50.Google Scholar
Pertwee, RG, et al. (−)−Cannabidiol antagonizes cannabinoid receptor agonists and noradrenaline in the mouse vas deferens. Eur J Pharmacol 2002;456(1–3):99–106.Google Scholar
Rossato, M, et al. Human sperm express cannabinoid receptor Cb1, the activation of which inhibits motility, acrosome reaction, and mitochondrial function. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2005;90:984–91.Google Scholar
Maccarrone, M, et al. Anandamide activity and degradation are regulated by early postnatal aging and follicle-stimulating hormone in mouse Sertoli cells. Endocrinology 2003;144:20–8.Google Scholar
Rossi, G, et al. Follicle-stimulating hormone activates fatty acid amide hydrolase by protein kinase A and aromatase-dependent pathways in mouse primary Sertoli cells. Endocrinology 2007;148:1431–9.Google Scholar
Schuel, H, et al. N-Acylethanolamines in human reproductive fluids. Chem Phys Lipids 2002;121(1–2):211–27.Google Scholar
Schuel, H, et al. Evidence that anandamide-signaling regulates human sperm functions required for fertilization. Mol Reprod Dev 2002;63:376–87.Google Scholar
Amoako, AA, et al. Quantitative analysis of anandamide and related acylethanolamides in human seminal plasma by ultra performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci 2010;878:3231–7.Google Scholar
Kolodny, RC, et al. Depression of plasma testosterone levels after chronic intensive marihuana use. N Engl J Med 1974;290:872–4.Google Scholar
Gonzalez, S, et al. Identification of endocannabinoids and cannabinoid CB(1) receptor mRNA in the pituitary gland. Neuroendocrinology 1999;70:137–45.Google Scholar
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Results from the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: summary of national findings. NSDUH Series H-48, HHS Publication No. (SMA) 14-4863. 2014. Available from: www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/NSDUHresultsPDFWHTML2013/Web/NSDUHresults2013.pdf.Google Scholar
du Plessis, SS, et al. Marijuana, phytocannabinoids, the endocannabinoid system, and male fertility. J Assist Reprod Genet 2015;32:1575–88.Google Scholar
Camacho, EM, et al. Age-associated changes in hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular function in middle-aged and older men are modified by weight change and lifestyle factors: longitudinal results from the European Male Ageing Study. Eur J Endocrinol 2013;168:445–55.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fui, MN, et al. Lowered testosterone in male obesity: mechanisms, morbidity and management. Asian J Androl 2014;16:223–31.Google ScholarPubMed
Hammoud, AO, et al. Updates on the relation of weight excess and reproductive function in men: sleep apnea as a new area of interest. Asian J Androl 2012;14:77–81.Google Scholar
Jia, YF, et al. Obesity impairs male fertility through long-term effects on spermatogenesis. BMC Urol 2018;18:42.Google Scholar
Mu, Y, et al. Diet-induced obesity impairs spermatogenesis: a potential role for autophagy. Sci Rep 2017;7:43475.Google Scholar
Dimitriadis, F, et al. Effects of phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors on Leydig cell secretory function in oligoasthenospermic infertile men: a randomized trial. BJU Int 2010;106:1181–5.Google Scholar
Dimitriadis, F, et al. Effects of phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor vardenafil on testicular androgen-binding protein secretion, the maintenance of foci of advanced spermatogenesis and the sperm fertilising capacity in azoospermic men. Andrologia 2012;44 Suppl 1:144–53.Google Scholar
Meistrich, ML, Van Beek, MEAB. Radiation sensitivity of the human testis. Adv Radiation Biol 1990;14:227–68.Google Scholar
Sanders, JE, et al. Pregnancies following high-dose cyclophosphamide with or without high-dose busulfan or total-body irradiation and bone marrow transplantation. Blood 1996;87:3045–52.Google Scholar
Jacob, A, et al. Recovery of spermatogenesis following bone marrow transplantation. Bone Marrow Transplant 1998;22:277–9.Google Scholar
Meistrich, ML. Effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy on spermatogenesis in humans. Fertil Steril 2013;100:1180–6.Google Scholar
Apperley, J. CML in pregnancy and childhood. Best Pract Res Clin Haematol 2009;22:455–74.Google Scholar
Meistrich, ML, et al. Recovery of sperm production after chemotherapy for osteosarcoma. Cancer 1989;63:2115–23.Google Scholar
Huyghe, E, et al. Gonadal impact of target of rapamycin inhibitors (sirolimus and everolimus) in male patients: an overview. Transpl Int 2007;20:305–11.Google Scholar
Fenic, I, et al. In vivo application of histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin-a impairs murine male meiosis. J Androl 2008;29:172–85.Google Scholar
Hattori, N, et al. 131I-tositumomab myeloablative radioimmunotherapy for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma: radiation dose to the testes. Nucl Med Commun 2012;33:1225–31.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Walter, JR, et al. Oncofertility considerations in adolescents and young adults given a diagnosis of melanoma: Fertility risk of Food and Drug Administration-approved systemic therapies. J Am Acad Dermatol 2016;75:528–34.Google Scholar
Lucas, TF, et al. Na+/K+-ATPase alpha1 isoform mediates ouabain-induced expression of cyclin D1 and proliferation of rat sertoli cells. Reproduction 2012;144:737–45.Google Scholar
Silber, SJ, et al. Distribution of spermatogenesis in the testicles of azoospermic men: the presence or absence of spermatids in the testes of men with germinal failure. Hum Reprod 1997;12:2422–8.Google Scholar
Arai, T, et al. Relationship of testicular volume to semen profiles and serum hormone concentrations in infertile Japanese males. Int J Fertil Womens Med 1998;43:40–7.Google Scholar
Schoor, RA, et al. The role of testicular biopsy in the modern management of male infertility. J Urol 2002;167:197–200.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fardet, A. Minimally processed foods are more satiating and less hyperglycemic than ultra-processed foods: a preliminary study with 98 ready-to-eat foods. Food Funct 2016;7:2338–46.Google Scholar
Pearson, ES. Goal setting as a health behavior change strategy in overweight and obese adults: a systematic literature review examining intervention components. Patient Educ Couns 2012;87:32–42.Google Scholar
Thiese, MS, et al. A clinical trial on weight loss among truck drivers. Int J Occup Environ Med 2015;6:104–12.Google Scholar
Qin, DD, et al. Do reproductive hormones explain the association between body mass index and semen quality? Asian J Androl 2007;9:827–34.Google Scholar
Chubb, SA, et al. Lower sex hormone-binding globulin is more strongly associated with metabolic syndrome than lower total testosterone in older men: the Health in Men Study. Eur J Endocrinol 2008;158:785–92.Google Scholar
Opinion statement during Oncofertility Seminar 2018.Google Scholar
Rhoden, EL, et al. Effects of the chronic use of finasteride on testicular weight and spermatogenesis in Wistar rats. BJU Int 2002;89:961–3.Google Scholar
Vidigal, DJ, et al. The effect of finasteride on spermatogenesis of Mesocricetus auratus. Acta Cir Bras 2008;23:282–6.Google Scholar
Ronzoni, G, et al. [Inhibition of spermatogenesis following the administration of various antibiotics and chemotherapeutic agents commonly used in urology. Experimental study]. Chir Patol Sper 1972;20:101–14.Google Scholar
Ahmadi, R, et al. The effects of levofloxacin on testis tissue and spermatogenesis in rat. Cell J 2016;18:112–16.Google Scholar
Schlegel, PN, et al. Antibiotics: potential hazards to male fertility. Fertil Steril 1991;55:235–42.Google Scholar
Lue, YH, et al. Single exposure to heat induces stage-specific germ cell apoptosis in rats: role of intratesticular testosterone on stage specificity. Endocrinology 1999;140:1709–17.Google Scholar
Slater, J. ‘It is horrid’: India roasts under heat wave with temperatures above 120 degrees. 2019. Available from: www.washingtonpost.com/world/its-horrid-india-roasts-under-heat-wave-with-temperatures-above-120-degrees/2019/06/05/bd713dea-877c-11e9-b1a8-716c9f3332ce_story.html?noredirect=on.Google Scholar
American Urological Association. Report on varicocele and infertility. An AUA Best Practice Policy and ASRM Practice Committee Report. 2001. Available from: www.auanet.org/documents/education/clinical-guidance/Varicocele-Archive.pdf.Google Scholar
Sigman, M, Vance, ML. Medical treatment of idiopathic infertility. Urol Clin North Am 1987;14:459–69.Google Scholar
Hussein, A, et al. Optimization of spermatogenesis-regulating hormones in patients with non-obstructive azoospermia and its impact on sperm retrieval: a multicentre study. BJU Int 2013;111(3 Pt B):E110–14.Google Scholar
Chua, ME, et al. Revisiting oestrogen antagonists (clomiphene or tamoxifen) as medical empiric therapy for idiopathic male infertility: a meta-analysis. Andrology 2013;1:749–57.Google Scholar
Lee, JA, Ramasamy, R. Indications for the use of human chorionic gonadotropic hormone for the management of infertility in hypogonadal men. Transl Androl Urol 2018;7(Suppl 3):S348–52.Google Scholar
Ribeiro, MA, et al. Aromatase inhibitors in the treatment of oligozoospermic or azoospermic men: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. JBRA Assist Reprod 2016;20:82–8.Google Scholar
Schulster, M, et al. The role of estradiol in male reproductive function. Asian J Androl 2016;18:435–40.Google Scholar
Pavlovich, CP, et al. Evidence of a treatable endocrinopathy in infertile men. J Urol 2001;165:837–41.Google Scholar
Shoshany, O, et al. Outcomes of anastrozole in oligozoospermic hypoandrogenic subfertile men. Fertil Steril 2017;107:589–94.Google Scholar
Raman, JD, Schlegel, PN. Aromatase inhibitors for male infertility. J Urol 2002;167(2 Pt 1):624–9.Google Scholar
Selman, HA, et al. Gonadotropin treatment of an azoospermic patient with a Y-chromosome microdeletion. Fertil Steril 2004;82:218–19.Google Scholar
Efesoy, O, et al. The efficacy of recombinant human follicle-stimulating hormone in the treatment of various types of male-factor infertility at a single university hospital. J Androl 2009;30:679–84.Google Scholar
Ramasamy, R, et al. Successful fertility treatment for Klinefelter’s syndrome. J Urol 2009;182:1108–13.Google Scholar
Oduwole, OO, et al. Role of follicle-stimulating hormone in spermatogenesis. Front Endocrinol 2018;9:763.Google Scholar
Paradisi, R, et al. Effects of high doses of recombinant human follicle-stimulating hormone in the treatment of male factor infertility: results of a pilot study. Fertil Steril 2006;86:728–31.Google Scholar
La Vignera, S, et al. FSH therapy for idiopathic male infertility: four schemes are better than one. Aging Male 2020;23:750–5.Google Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×