Varicocele can reduce male fertility potential through various oxidative stress mechanisms. Excessive production of reactive oxygen species may overwhelm the sperm's defenses against oxidative stress, damaging the sperm chromatin. Sperm DNA fragmentation, in the form of DNA strand breaks, is recognized as a consequence of the oxidative stress cascade and is commonly found in the ejaculates of men with varicocele and fertility issues. This paper reviews the current knowledge regarding the association between varicocele, oxidative stress, sperm DNA fragmentation, and male infertility, and examines the role of varicocele repair in alleviating oxidative-sperm DNA fragmentation in these patients. Additionally, we highlight areas for further research to address knowledge gaps relevant to clinical practice.
Keyphrases
- oxidative stress
- circulating tumor
- cell free
- dna damage
- single molecule
- healthcare
- ischemia reperfusion injury
- diabetic rats
- induced apoptosis
- reactive oxygen species
- clinical practice
- end stage renal disease
- nucleic acid
- newly diagnosed
- primary care
- chronic kidney disease
- ejection fraction
- circulating tumor cells
- body mass index
- type diabetes
- prognostic factors
- randomized controlled trial
- genome wide
- systematic review
- signaling pathway
- peritoneal dialysis
- patient reported outcomes
- risk assessment
- quality improvement
- dna methylation
- patient reported
- climate change