Role of Oxidative Stress, Reactive Oxygen Species & Antioxidants in Male Reproductive Functions

Gametes are susceptible to reactive oxygen species (ROS) attack. When manipulated in vitro during assisted reproductive techniques, these cells have the risk of generating and being exposed to supra-physiological level of ROS. Defective sperm functions are the most prevalent causes of male infertility and a difficult condition to treat. Male infertility is a major problem of mammalian reproduction. Numerous factors influence male infertility and oxidative stress is one of them. The term oxidative stress is generally applied when oxidants outnumber the antioxidants. The imbalance between the production of ROS and a biological systems ability to readily detoxify the reactive intermediates or easily repair the resulting damage is known as oxidative stress. The main destructive aspects of oxidative stress are the production of ROS, which include free radicals and peroxides. In this article we discuss the role of oxidative stress in different sperm functions, means of ROS generation and their physiological implications in semen and how antioxidants act as defense in protecting sperm from oxidative /ROS attack.