Resveratrol in diabetes: benefits against oxidative stress in male reproduction

Abstract Diabetes mellitus pathophysiology involves oxidative stress upsurge as a result of either increasing reactive oxygen species or impairment of antioxidant defence mechanisms. A new perspective concerning the impairment of the reproductive outcome has become increasingly important when numbers of people diagnosed with diabetes among adolescents started to escalate. Sexual dysfunction in diabetic men seems to be higher than 50%. Even though infertility is not a mandatory outcome, either germ cells or testicular somatic cells can be affected by oxidative stress. Indeed, impaired sperm quality parameters and sexual hormone status have been reported in diabetic animals and humans. Alternative strategies to control metabolic dysfunction and production of reactive oxygen species using antioxidants have been considered as effective tools. However, resveratrol is not only an effective scavenger of free radicals, but it also presents multitarget action and can be very efficient against the development and progress of this metabolic disease.