AUTHOR=Wood Guilherme Jacom Abdulmassih , Cardoso João Paulo Greco , Paluello Davi Vischi , Nunes Thiago Fagundes , Cocuzza Marcello 

TITLE=Varicocele-Associated Infertility and the Role of Oxidative Stress on Sperm DNA Fragmentation

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Reproductive Health

VOLUME=3

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/reproductive-health/articles/10.3389/frph.2021.695992

DOI=10.3389/frph.2021.695992

ISSN=2673-3153

ABSTRACT=<p>Varicocele has been extensively described and studied as the most important reversible cause of male infertility. Its impact on semen parameters, pregnancy rates, and assisted reproductive outcomes have been associated with multifactorial aspects, most of them converging to increase of reactive oxygen species (ROS). More recently, sperm DNA fragmentation has gained significant attention and potential clinical use, although the body of evidence still needs further evolution. The associations between sperm DNA damage and a variety of disorders, including varicocele itself, share common pathways to ROS increase. This mini-review discusses different aspects related to the etiology of ROS and its relation to varicocele and potential mechanisms of DNA damage.</p>