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PubMed2026

Reassessing Semen Analysis: Clinical Insights Beyond Sperm Count and Motility.

BACKGROUND: Semen analysis (SA), recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the cornerstone of male infertility evaluation, remains indispensable in reproductive medicine. However, advances in assisted reproductive technology (ART) and artificial intelligence (AI) have highlighted the limitations of relying solely on conventional semen parameters. OBJECTIVE: To critically review the evolving clinical role of SA by integrating conventional assessment with emerging functional, molecular, and computational approaches that improve diagnostic accuracy and individualized patient care. METHODS: A narrative review of contemporary evidence was conducted, focusing on conventional semen parameters, biofunctional sperm testing, omics technologies, AI-assisted analysis, and broader clinical applications of SA. RESULTS: Conventional parameters, including sperm concentration, motility, and morphology, remain essential but inadequately reflect fertilizing capacity. Adjunctive assessments, including oxidative stress biomarkers and sperm DNA fragmentation, provide valuable insights into sperm function and reproductive potential. Omics technologies, including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, deepen mechanistic understanding, while AI enhances diagnostic precision, reproducibility, and standardization. Beyond infertility evaluation, SA also supports male contraceptive assessment, natural conception, ART, and patient counseling. CONCLUSIONS: Integrating conventional SA with functional, molecular, and AI-driven diagnostics provides a comprehensive framework for evaluating male fertility, advancing precision reproductive medicine and personalized clinical management.

cryopreservation↗

PubMed2026

Using high-dimensional environmental covariates to study genotype by environment interaction for reproductive traits in Duroc boars.

We investigated the potential of incorporating grid-cell-based environmental covariates (ECs) in the genetic evaluation of total sperm count (TSC), sperm motility (MOT), and sperm morphology (MOR) for Duroc boars. A total of 188,665 records derived from 3,684 genotyped boars, born between December 2018 and October 2024 and raised in three stud farms located in different U.S. states, were analyzed using multi-trait linear-threshold repeatability models. To account for genotype by environment interactions (GE), we constructed an interaction matrix as the Hadamard product of the genomic relationship matrix and an environmental (co)variance matrix. The environmental groups were defined in three ways: farm, farm-season, and farm-year-season. The (co)variance matrix was constructed based on daily ECs obtained from the NASA POWER database for each environmental group. Of all available ECs, those significantly associated with TSC, MOT, and MOR (temperature, relative humidity, atmospheric pressure, and wind speed and direction) were retained. We evaluated five models with different GE structures: M1 represented the baseline without accounting for GE, in M2 the GE included farm as environmental groups, in M3 the GE included farm-season as environmental groups, in M4 the GE included farm-year-season as environmental groups, and M5 involved M3 with an additional random effect of the farm-season. Estimates of heritability for TSC, MOT, and MOR ranged from 0.03 to 0.04, 0.05 to 0.08, and 0.04 to 0.08, respectively. Corresponding repeatability ranged from 0.15 to 0.23, 0.28 to 0.49, and 0.28 to 0.49. The proportion of phenotypic variance attributed to GE variance ranged from 0.00 to 0.32, 0.00 to 0.44, and 0.00 to 0.44. Lastly, estimates of genetic correlation, TSC-MOT, TSC-MOR, and MOT-MOR ranged from 0.27 to 0.31, 0.24 to 0.31, and 0.98 to 0.99, respectively, with minor differences across models. We assessed the predictive ability of models using the linear regression validation. Across traits and models, bias ranged from -0.05 to 0.02 standard deviations, slope varied from 0.88 to 0.99, the correlation ranged from 0.75 to 0.84, and accuracy from 0.41 to 0.53. Overall, building the GE matrix considering grid-cell-based ECs helped to account for GE, thereby reducing the proportion of phenotypic variance attributed to genetic components; however, it did not improve the validation metrics. Additional on-farm records for ECs may improve the model performance.

Animals↗

PubMed2026

Proteomic analysis of cisplatin-induced spermatogenesis defects in mice.

BACKGROUND: Cisplatin is a crucial chemotherapeutic agent used for treating various cancers; however, its excessive use can cause irreversible damage to the reproductive system, and the protein expression profile of cisplatin-induced testicular injury remains unclear. METHODS: Male C57BL/6 mice were treated with cisplatin at various doses, and testes were collected for histological, immunofluorescence, and proteomic analyses. Germ cell loss and apoptosis were assessed using H&E staining, TUNEL assays, and immunofluorescence for LIN28A, SYCP3, MVH, and CDK1. Label-free quantitative proteomics identified differentially expressed proteins, which were analyzed for functional enrichment and protein-protein interactions. RESULTS: We observed that cisplatin treatment led to smaller testes, reduced sperm count, and a significant decrease in the number of spermatocytes and spermatids in mice. Label-free quantitative proteomic analysis revealed that cisplatin significantly reduced the expression of cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1), a key spermatogenesis regulator, in the testes. Reduction in CDK1 expression is correlated with spermatogenic arrest, particularly in spermatocytes. CONCLUSION: These findings highlight the critical role of CDK1 in cisplatin-induced spermatogenic dysfunction and provide new insights into fertility preservation strategies for patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy.

Animals↗

PubMed2026

Gonadal function and fertility outcomes after orchiopexy versus orchiectomy for testicular torsion: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: To review the early and late changes in hormonal profiles, semen parameters, and clinical outcomes in patients treated with orchiopexy versus orchiectomy for testicular torsion. METHODS: A systematic search was conducted across MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and other databases, following PRISMA guidelines. PRIMARY OUTCOMES: FSH, LH, testosterone, inhibin-B, and semen parameters. Quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Certainty of evidence was evaluated using the GRADE framework. Statistical analysis was performed using the random-effects model. RESULTS: Eleven studies involving 538 participants (197 orchiectomy, 341 orchiopexy) were included. Orchiectomy was associated with a significant increase in FSH (SMD: 1.63, P < 0.0001) and LH (SMD: 1.31, P < 0.0001) compared to orchiopexy. However, testosterone (MD: 0.31 ng/mL; P = 0.4) and inhibin-B (SMD: -0.14; P = 0.87) levels were comparable between groups. Regarding semen parameters, orchiectomy resulted in a significant reduction in sperm concentration (MD: -18 million/mL, P = 0.01). No significant differences were found in sperm count (MD: 13.9 million; P = 0.43), normal morphology (MD: 4.97%; P = 0.12), or total motility (MD: 4.05%; P = 0.49). The pooled rate for ipsilateral atrophy following orchiopexy was 38%, which likely depends on ischemia duration. CONCLUSION: Surgical choice in testicular torsion does not significantly affect the overall hormonal balance or most semen parameters due to compensatory mechanisms of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. Clinical decisions should consider individual case factors, as we lack reliable data on subsequent paternity rates.

Male↗

PubMed2026

Transcriptomic insights into thermal stress reveal physiological trade-off between thermal stress adaptation and reproductive investment in Spodoptera litura.

Spodoptera litura, a highly polyphagous lepidopteran pest, poses a major threat to agricultural productivity due to its remarkable adaptability to diverse environmental conditions. Although heat stress is known to trigger transcriptional reprogramming in insects, the molecular mechanisms underlying thermal stress responses in S. litura remain poorly understood. In the present study, fourth-instar larvae were exposed to acute heat stress (44 °C) and compared with control conditions (27 ± 1 °C) to investigate heat-induced transcriptional alterations affecting physiology and reproduction. High-quality RNA-Seq data achieved more than 80% mapping efficiency, with a total of 15,782 transcripts were identified. Transcriptome analysis of S. litura larvae showed 323 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), of which 262 genes were significantly upregulated and 61 were downregulated in heat-stressed larvae compared to the control group. The DEGs were associated with stress response, reproduction, signalling, proteostasis, detoxification, oxidative stress, metabolism, development, and chromatin regulation. Heat shock proteins genes, including HSP70, HSP90, and HSP27, together with co-chaperones such as TRET-1, STIP1, and Starvin, were strongly upregulated, indicating enhanced cellular protection against protein damage and oxidative stress under heat stress. Conversely, key reproductive and cell cycle-related genes, including BARR, CAPD2, FEO, CDK2 and MORULA, were significantly downregulated, suggesting reproductive impairment and developmental arrest. RT-qPCR validation corroborated the RNA-Seq findings, demonstrating a heat-induced physiological trade-off that prioritizes survival over reproduction. Consistent with these molecular responses, heat-stressed insects exhibited marked reproductive impairment, including significant reductions in gonadosomatic index, eupyrene sperm bundle count, mating frequency, mating success, female calling behaviour, copulation duration, fecundity, and egg fertility. Collectively, these findings provide comprehensive insights into the molecular basis of thermal adaptation in S. litura and demonstrate that acute heat stress compromises reproductive fitness while activating conserved stress-response pathways that promote short-term survival.

Animals↗