The role of carnitine in the male reproductive system
The role of carnitine in the male reproductive system
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DOI：
10.1196/annals.1320.017
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发表时间：
2004-01-01
期刊：
影响因子：
--
通讯作者：
Swerdloff, S
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Ng, CM;Blackman, MR;Swerdloff, S
肉碱在附睾和精子中高度集中。在那里，它可以作为酰基的线粒体内载体，以酰基CoA的形式作为氧化过程的底物，为精子呼吸和运动产生能量。到目前为止，对啮齿动物和人类的研究表明，精子数量、活力和成熟度与附睾游离肉碱浓度有关。此外，补充肉碱可以改善暴露于高温和X射线等物理伤害的小鼠以及患有特发性少弱精子症的男性的睾丸中精子的质量和/或数量。这些好处可能是由于线粒体脂肪酸氧化增加，导致附睾精子活力的改善。睾丸中的抗细胞凋亡作用(S)或肉碱也可能起作用，但这仍是推测，需要进一步研究。揭示肉碱在体细胞和生殖细胞中的许多特性和作用机制的研究可能为深入了解肉碱的病理生理学或生殖细胞凋亡、预防或生殖细胞死亡，以及可能对某些形式的不育症进行特异性治疗提供帮助。在考虑作为一种不孕症治疗方法广泛应用于临床之前，进一步的良好控制、精心设计、更大规模的研究是必要和可取的。
Carnitine is highly concentrated in the epididymis and spermatozoa. where it may serve as an intramitochondrial vehicle for the acyl group, which in the form of acyl CoA acts as a substrate for the oxidation process producing energy for sperm respiration and motility. To date, studies in rodents and humans suggest that sperm count, motility, and maturation are related to epididymal free carnitine concentrations. Moreover, supplementation with carnitine improves sperm quality and/or quantity in testes of mice exposed to physical insults, such as heat and X-irradiation, and in men with idiopathic oligoasthenospermia. These benefits may be due to increased mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation resulting in improvement in motility of epididymal sperm. The antiapoptotic effect(s) or carnitine in the testes may also contribute, but this remains speculative and requires further investigation. Research to uncover the many characteristics and mechanisms of action of carnitine in somatic and germ cells may provide insights into the pathophysiology or germ cell apoptosis, the prevention or germ cell death, and possibly specific therapy of some forms of infertility. Further well-controlled, carefully designed, larger-scale studies are necessary and desirable before widespread clinical use as an infertility therapy can be contemplated.