Male infertility spermatogenesis

Among the other causes of male infertility are anatomical abnormalities, abnormal spermatogenesis, abnormal motility, and psychosocial causes. A list of drugs that can affect male reproductive function is given in Table 53-3. 

Infertility, If the male infertility is due to seminiferous tubular failure with a resulting failure of spermatogenesis, hormone analysis is of little use. Testosterone and LH levels can be normal, as is the response to HCG stimulation. FSH levels however may be high. Analysis of the semen may be of more use. (see also seminal fluid fructose)... 

Two major systems have been identified as toxicity targets for 1,3-DNB the red blood cell and the male reproductive system (see Section 2.2.2). In the red blood cell, 1,3-DNB induces formation of methemoglobin leading to cyanosis (Blackburn et al. 1988 Linder et al. 1988, 1990 Reader et al. 1991). In the male reproductive system, 1,3-DNB causes disruption of spermatogenesis resulting in hypospermia, poor sperm quality, and infertility (Blackburn et al. 1988 Hess et al. 1988 Linder et al. 1988). Whether adverse hematological and reproductive effects are caused by the same mechanism of action remains unresolved. 

A small number of studies have reported that male rats fed aflatoxins developed testicular degeneration and impaired spermatogenesis, although no clear association with aflatoxins and clinical infertility was uncovered in one of these studies. 

Hypogonadism in the male may be primary (where the cause is a failure of testosterone synthesis or of spermatogenesis in the testes) or secondary where the problem is in the hypothalamus or pituitary. Gonadal dysfunction in women may present as primary or secondary amenorrhoea, infertility, hirsutism or virilism. 

Kumanov, R, K. Nandipati, A. Tomova, and A. Agarwal (2006). Inhibin B is a better marker of spermatogenesis than other hormones in the evaluation of male factor infertility. Fertil Steril 86(2) 332-338. 

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