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| image credit: news.com.au |
"A new study sheds light on how obesity may contribute to male infertility. Published in open-access journal Frontiers in Physiology, the study reports that obese men have increased levels of inflammatory markers in their seminal fluid and lower sperm quality, both of which correlate with their body mass index (BMI). The findings suggest that chronic inflammation in male reproductive organs explains the link between obesity and reduced fertility.
Obesity is a significant global health issue and is on the increase. In addition to variety of chronic illnesses, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, obesity is also linked to reduced sperm quality and male infertility. Scientists have also linked obesity to increased inflammation. Obese people can experience chronic inflammation in various tissues, and previous studies show that fat cells can produce and release specific signaling proteins that cause inflammatory responses.
Some studies have linked chronic inflammation to impaired sperm production and function -- however it was unknown whether obesity-related inflammation could influence fertility. Researchers from China hypothesized that the chronic inflammation associated with obesity might affect the male genital tract, which includes reproductive organs including the testes, providing a potential mechanism to explain the link between obesity and male infertility.
To investigate this, the researchers compared the level of inflammatory markers in the genital tracts of normal male mice and those fed a high fat diet to become obese. They found that the obese mice showed structural changes in their testes and changes in sex hormone expression. This included decreased levels of testosterone -- a sex hormone which can help maintain the protective blood-testes barrier, an important shield that protects delicate tissues in the testes from components in the blood..."
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Obesity is a significant global health issue and is on the increase. In addition to variety of chronic illnesses, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, obesity is also linked to reduced sperm quality and male infertility. Scientists have also linked obesity to increased inflammation. Obese people can experience chronic inflammation in various tissues, and previous studies show that fat cells can produce and release specific signaling proteins that cause inflammatory responses.
Some studies have linked chronic inflammation to impaired sperm production and function -- however it was unknown whether obesity-related inflammation could influence fertility. Researchers from China hypothesized that the chronic inflammation associated with obesity might affect the male genital tract, which includes reproductive organs including the testes, providing a potential mechanism to explain the link between obesity and male infertility.
To investigate this, the researchers compared the level of inflammatory markers in the genital tracts of normal male mice and those fed a high fat diet to become obese. They found that the obese mice showed structural changes in their testes and changes in sex hormone expression. This included decreased levels of testosterone -- a sex hormone which can help maintain the protective blood-testes barrier, an important shield that protects delicate tissues in the testes from components in the blood..."
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