Unveiling the crucial role of oxidative stress on steroid hormone receptors

Oxidative stress is widely recognized as a major contributor to male infertility. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) can interact with various cellular components, causing irreversible damage to the male reproductive system. This damage results in several adverse effects, including impaired sperm motility, abnormal spermatogenesis, sperm deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage, and altered steroidogenesis. Furthermore, oxidative damage to steroid hormone receptors contributes to their functional impairment. These factors, individually or collectively, lead to infertility or subfertility in men. ROS can damage proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids, with oxidative DNA damage potentially causing mutations, particularly in germ cells, as studies have shown. Such damage is also observed in steroid hormones and their receptors in men. Understanding the relationship between oxidative stress and its impact on genes is crucial for the accurate diagnosis, recognition, and treatment of male infertility. High-dose antioxidant supplementation, a beacon of hope, may eliminate, scavenge, or neutralize ROS, thereby mitigating ROS-induced genomic damage and oxidative harm to steroid hormones. Consequently, this approach may be considered the primary remedy against oxidative stress-induced male infertility.