Male Reproductive Dysfunction and Pharmacological Action of Curcumin: A Concise Review

Abstract

Background: Male reproductive dysfunctions are the results of the malfunctioning of one or more of these cellular components due to several factors among which are exposure to heavy metals, reactive oxygen species, smoking and alcohol, genital infection, lifestyle, hormonal disorders, and unhealthy diet. However, it has been widely reported that curcumin possesses pharmacological potential which could ameliorate the effects of these factors on male reproductive dysfunctions. Introduction: This review discusses the pharmacological activities of curcumin about its ameliorating effects on male reproductive dysfunction especially on induced sperm disorders, steroidogenic toxicity, immune-regulatory activity, apoptotic toxicity, and oxidative toxicity, along with their possible mechanisms on male reproductive dysfunction. Method: The terms such as "Curcumin" together with "testis", "sperm", " male reproductive function", and "testosterone" were searched on Google Scholar, Pubmed, and Scopus. Relevant literature was also assessed. Result: Curcumin mitigated the adverse effects on hormone levels, cellular apoptotic activity, oxidative stress, and histopathological damages. Curcumin also inhibited the activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, increased semen quality, sperm motility, and concentration, and restored the IL-1β, TNF-α, and MCP-1 level in the reproductive tissues. Furthermore, curcumin has been shown to increase mRNA, cytoplasmic Bcl-2, 3β-HSD, and 17β-HSD and Nrf2 expression, ɣ-GCS, and GSH-Px levels, the number of TUNEL-positive cells, and to reduce levels of LDH-x, and LDH activities. Conclusion: Curcumin exerts pharmacological activities which improved the male reproductive functions as it pinpoints how curcumin affects various testicular processes. This will be imperative as a measure to enhance male fertility.