One of the major causes of defective sperm function is oxidative stress, which limits the fertilizing potential of these cells as the result of collateral damage to proteins and lipids in the sperm plasma membrane. On this point, a derangement of both generation and neutralization of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is a recognized cause of male infertility. Antioxidant protection in sperm has been widely investigated, as well as the sperm composition of fatty acids (FA), which represents the preferred substrate for ROS, most frequently linked to the disease-related infertility. Isoprostanes are compounds derived from free radical-mediated oxidation of FAs. As such, they are considered an index of lipid oxidative damage and lipid mediators. This article discusses the role of isoprostanes as relevant factors both to sperm FA composition and sperm membrane integrity. Additionally, isoprostane’s influence on sperm quality is reviewed. With reference to male reproductive dysfunction, increasing evidence indicates isoprostanes, detectable in biological fluids or sperm membrane, as the specific index of 1) exposure to chemical etiological agents, 2) oxidative damage, 3) reduced antioxidant response, and 4) sperm immaturity.

Abbreviations

OS: oxidative stress; ROS: reactive oxygen species; PUFAs: polyunsaturated fatty acids; ARA: arachidonic acid, F₂-IsoPs; F₂-isoprostanes, PLA₂: phospholipase A₂; NADPH: nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate; IVF: in vitro fertilization

中文翻译：

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异前列腺素在人类男性不育症中的作用。

精子功能缺陷的主要原因之一是氧化应激，由于对精子质膜中的蛋白质和脂质的附带损害，氧化应激限制了这些细胞的受精潜力。在这一点上，活性氧 (ROS) 的产生和中和的紊乱是男性不育的公认原因。精子中的抗氧化保护以及脂肪酸 (FA) 的精子组成已得到广泛研究，脂肪酸 (FA) 是 ROS 的首选底物，最常与疾病相关的不孕症有关。异前列烷是衍生自自由基介导的 FA 氧化的化合物。因此，它们被认为是脂质氧化损伤和脂质介质的指标。本文讨论了异前列腺素作为与精子 FA 组成和精子膜完整性相关的因素的作用。此外，还回顾了异前列烷对精子质量的影响。关于男性生殖功能障碍，越来越多的证据表明异前列腺素可在生物体液或精子膜中检测到，作为 1) 暴露于化学病原体、2) 氧化损伤、3) 抗氧化反应降低和 4) 精子不成熟的特定指标。

缩写

OS：氧化应激；ROS：活性氧；PUFAs：多不饱和脂肪酸；ARA：花生四烯酸，F ₂ -IsoPs；F _{2 -}异前列烷，PLA ₂：磷脂酶A ₂；NADPH：烟酰胺腺嘌呤二核苷酸磷酸；试管婴儿：在体外授精