Impact of hormonal changes on the semen quality and assisted reproductive outcomes in infertile men

Abstract This study investigated the effect of hormonal changes on semen quality, chromatin status, and assisted reproductive outcomes (intracytoplasmic sperm injection), among infertile men. In this research, 219 infertile men undergoing assisted reproductive treatment were evaluated with reproductive hormone levels (including follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone and testosterone), semen parameters, and sperm chromatin integrity and condensation, between 2012 and 2014. Finally, the assisted reproductive outcomes in these infertile men were studied. The low rate of total sperm count, motility and morphology, fertilization and the high percentage of DNA damage, the poor zygote (Z4 grade) and embryo quality (grade D), and spontaneous miscarriage was recorded in men with high levels of follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone. In conclusion, the changes in the follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, and testosterone by changes in the sperm quality, and DNA damage may have the effects on assisted reproductive outcomes (e.g., low fertilization, poor zygote and embryo quality, and high miscarriage).