Abstract
Alcohol abuse disorder is a serious condition, implicating more than 15 million people aged 12 years and older in 2019 in the United States. Ethanol (or ethyl alcohol) is mainly oxidized in the liver, resulting in the synthesis of acetaldehyde and acetate, which are toxic and carcinogenic metabolites, as well as in the generation of a reductive cellular environment. Moreover, ethanol can interact with lipids, generating fatty acid ethyl esters and phosphatidylethanol, which interfere with physiological cellular pathways. This narrative review summarizes the impact of excessive alcohol consumption on male fertility by describing its metabolism and how ethanol consumption may induce cellular damage. Furthermore, the impact of alcohol consumption on hormonal regulation, semen quality, and genetic and epigenetic regulations is discussed based on evidence from animal and human studies, focusing on the consequences on the offspring. Finally, the limitations of the current evidence are discussed. Our review highlights the association between chronic alcohol consumption and poor semen quality, mainly due to the development of oxidative stress, as well as its genotoxic impact on hormonal regulation and DNA integrity, affecting the offspring’s health. New landscapes of investigation are proposed for the identification of molecular markers for alcohol-associated infertility, with a focus on advanced OMICS-based approaches applied to the analysis of semen samples.
Highlights
The consumption of alcoholic beverages is common in numerous societies, and almost60% of the global population aged 15 years and over have been reported consuming alcoholic drinks in one year [1]
As a large percentage of male alcoholics are of the reproductive age and may be interested in becoming fathers [1], understanding the mechanisms leading to alcohol-related male infertility is of the utmost importance
Alcohol Consumption and Male Infertility: Evidence from Animal and Several animal and human studies have investigated the impact of alcohol consumption on reproductive hormonal regulation, semen quality, gene transcription, genetics, and epigenetics regulation, as well as the transgenerational impact of paternal exposure on the offspring
Summary
The consumption of alcoholic beverages is common in numerous societies, and almost. 60% of the global population aged 15 years and over have been reported consuming alcoholic drinks in one year [1]. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, around 26% of the adult population reported binge drinking in the United States, with almost 15 million people older than 12 years showing alcohol abuse disorder [4] This behavior is estimated to affect 4% of the adult global population [5]. As a large percentage of male alcoholics are of the reproductive age and may be interested in becoming fathers [1], understanding the mechanisms leading to alcohol-related male infertility is of the utmost importance This narrative review aims to discuss the impact of alcohol consumption on male fertility by describing alcohol metabolism and the molecular mechanisms by which ethanol (EtOH) can induce cellular damage. We highlight the limitations of the current evidence and describe new areas of investigation for the identification of the molecular markers of alcohol-associated male infertility
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