Reactive oxygen species

In Westernized societies, average consumption of n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) far exceeds nutritional requirements. The ratio of n-6 to n-3 PUFAs is generally >10:1 whereas on a primitive human diet it was closer to 1:1. Diets fed to intensively farmed livestock have followed a similar trend. Both n-6 and n-3 PUFAs can influence reproductive processes through a variety of mechanisms. They provide the precursors for prostaglandin synthesis and can modulate the expression patterns of many key enzymes involved in both prostaglandin and steroid metabolism. They are essential components of all cell membranes. The proportions of different PUFAs in tissues of the reproductive tract reflect dietary consumption. PUFA supplements (particularly n-3 PUFAs in fish oil) are promoted for general health reasons. Fish oils may also benefit fertility in cattle and reduce the risk of preterm labor in women, but in both cases current evidence to support this is inconclusive. Gamma-linolenic acid containing oils can alter the types of prostaglandins produced by cells in vitro, but published data to support claims relating to effects on reproductive health are lacking. Spermatozoa require a high PUFA content to provide the plasma membrane with the fluidity essential at fertilization. However, this makes spermatozoa particularly vulnerable to attack by reactive oxygen species, and lifestyle factors promoting oxidative stress have clear associations with reduced fertility. Adequately powered trials that control for the ratios of different PUFAs consumed are required to determine the extent to which this aspect of our diets does influence our fertility.

https://bioone.org/journals/biology-of-reproduction/volume-77/issue-2/biolreprod.107.060558/Polyunsaturated-Fatty-Acids-in-Male-and-Female-Reproduction1/10.1095/biolreprod.107.060558.pdf

Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Male and Female Reproduction

Background Infertility is a global public health issue, affecting 15% of all couples of reproductive age. Male factors, including decreased semen quality, are responsible for ~25% of these cases. The dietary pattern, the components of the diet and nutrients have been studied as possible determinants of sperm function and/or fertility. Objective and rationale Previous systematic reviews have been made of the few heterogeneous low-quality randomized clinical trials (RCTs) conducted in small samples of participants and investigating the effect of specific nutrients and nutritional supplements on male infertility. However, as yet there has been no systematic review of observational studies. Search methods A comprehensive systematic review was made of the published literature, from the earliest available online indexing year to November 2016, in accordance with the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. We have included cross-sectional, case-control and prospective and retrospective studies in which fertile/infertile men were well defined (men with sperm disorders, sperm DNA damage, varicocele or idiopathic infertility). The primary outcomes were semen quality or fecundability. With the data extracted, we evaluated and scored the quality of the studies selected. We excluded RCTs, animal studies, review articles and low-quality studies. Outcomes A total of 1944 articles were identified, of which 35 were selected for qualitative analysis. Generally, the results indicated that healthy diets rich in some nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, some antioxidants (vitamin E, vitamin C, β-carotene, selenium, zinc, cryptoxanthin and lycopene), other vitamins (vitamin D and folate) and low in saturated fatty acids and trans-fatty acids were inversely associated with low semen quality parameters. Fish, shellfish and seafood, poultry, cereals, vegetables and fruits, low-fat dairy and skimmed milk were positively associated with several sperm quality parameters. However, diets rich in processed meat, soy foods, potatoes, full-fat dairy and total dairy products, cheese, coffee, alcohol, sugar-sweetened beverages and sweets have been detrimentally associated with the quality of semen in some studies. As far as fecundability is concerned, a high intake of alcohol, caffeine and red meat and processed meat by males has a negative influence on the chance of pregnancy or fertilization rates in their partners. Wider implications Male adherence to a healthy diet could improve semen quality and fecundability rates. Since observational studies may prove associations but not causation, the associations summarized in the present review need to be confirmed with large prospective cohort studies and especially with well-designed RCTs.

Dietary patterns, foods and nutrients in male fertility parameters and fecundability: a systematic review of observational studies

Total antioxidant capacity.

Poultry in commercial settings are exposed to a range of stressors. A growing body of information clearly indicates that excess ROS/RNS production and oxidative stress are major detrimental consequences of the most common commercial stressors in poultry production. During evolution, antioxidant defence systems were developed in poultry to survive in an oxygenated atmosphere. They include a complex network of internally synthesised (e.g., antioxidant enzymes, (glutathione) GSH, (coenzyme Q) CoQ) and externally supplied (vitamin E, carotenoids, etc.) antioxidants. In fact, all antioxidants in the body work cooperatively as a team to maintain optimal redox balance in the cell/body. This balance is a key element in providing the necessary conditions for cell signalling, a vital process for regulation of the expression of various genes, stress adaptation and homeostasis maintenance in the body. Since ROS/RNS are considered to be important signalling molecules, their concentration is strictly regulated by the antioxidant defence network in conjunction with various transcription factors and vitagenes. In fact, activation of vitagenes via such transcription factors as Nrf2 leads to an additional synthesis of an array of protective molecules which can deal with increased ROS/RNS production. Therefore, it is a challenging task to develop a system of optimal antioxidant supplementation to help growing/productive birds maintain effective antioxidant defences and redox balance in the body. On the one hand, antioxidants, such as vitamin E, or minerals (e.g., Se, Mn, Cu and Zn) are a compulsory part of the commercial pre-mixes for poultry, and, in most cases, are adequate to meet the physiological requirements in these elements. On the other hand, due to the aforementioned commercially relevant stressors, there is a need for additional support for the antioxidant system in poultry. This new direction in improving antioxidant defences for poultry in stress conditions is related to an opportunity to activate a range of vitagenes (via Nrf2-related mechanisms: superoxide dismutase, SOD; heme oxygenase-1, HO-1; GSH and thioredoxin, or other mechanisms: Heat shock protein (HSP)/heat shock factor (HSP), sirtuins, etc.) to maximise internal AO protection and redox balance maintenance. Therefore, the development of vitagene-regulating nutritional supplements is on the agenda of many commercial companies worldwide.

Antioxidant Defence Systems and Oxidative Stress in Poultry Biology: An Update

This work demonstrates that spermatozoa from five avian species (chicken, turkey, guinea fowl, duck and goose) are all characterised by high proportions of polyunsaturated fatty acids, from 46 (turkey) to 55% (duck) of total. For each of the species, the most abundant fatty acids were arachidonic (20:4n-6) and docosatetraenoic (22:4n-6) acids, representing between 22 (turkey) and 40% (chicken) of total. Significant activities of the major isozymes of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase, which protect against the peroxidation associated with high degree of fatty acid unsaturation, were found in spermatozoa from all species. The seminal plasma also had these activities and showed additional mechanisms for protecting spermatozoa from peroxidation. In general terms, these lipid and enzyme proteins were similar between the five avian species and different from those reported for mammalian sperm.

https://www.feedfood.co.uk/download/sperm_CBP_1998.pdf

Fatty acid composition, glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activity and total antioxidant activity of avian semen

Broiler breeder roosters received two diets, containing either 5% salmon oil (SO) or 5% corn oil (CO). The diets differed essentially in their polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) composition, with n-6:n-3 fatty acid ratios of 41.6 in SO and 1.5 in CO. The effects of these diets on the fatty acid composition of spermatozoa and seminal plasma, and on fertility evaluated after artificial insemination were observed. Whatever the diet, the fatty acid composition of spermatozoa showed notable amounts of 20:4n-6 (5-9%) and 22:4n-6 (15-21%). These essential fatty acids were not detected in the diets and were synthesized from 18:2n-6, which was abundant in the diet (15-16%) but low in spermatozoa (2-3%). Spermatozoa were also very rich in saturated fatty acids (39%). There was a clear influence of dietary lipids on the spermatozoa fatty acid profile: the proportion of n-3 fatty acids in spermatozoa from males fed SO compared to CO was higher (9.6% vs. 4.3%) and that of n-6 fatty acids was lower (22.4% vs. 33.3%). The fatty acid composition of seminal plasma included a higher proportion of saturated fatty acids (49%) than the proportion in spermatozoa, whereas minor fatty acids (14:0, 16:1n-7, 16:1n-9, 22:5n-3) were not detected. The influence of dietary lipids on the seminal plasma fatty acid profile was the same as for the spermatozoa, especially in the PUFA profile. In addition, the SO diet gave significantly higher fertility rates (96%) than the CO diet (91.6%). These results clearly show that the lipid composition of the diet may modify the fatty acid composition of the semen and its fertilizing ability.

Effect of dietary fat on the fatty acid composition and fertilizing ability of fowl semen.

Predictors of success of semen cryopreservation in chickens.

Semen cryopreservation in domestic birds has been studied extensively in the past fifty years. However, efficient methods to freeze semen of chicken of different breeds have emerged only in the las...

Current status in avian semen cryopreservation

http://static.squarespace.com/static/52f6e70ae4b09d0c250122c6/t/532dee8ee4b01c9accdc8e4a/1395519118381/donkeysemen_1.pdf

Elisabeth Blesbois

Papers

Fatty acid composition, glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activity and total antioxidant activity of avian semen

Effect of dietary fat on the fatty acid composition and fertilizing ability of fowl semen.

Predictors of success of semen cryopreservation in chickens.

Current status in avian semen cryopreservation

Differences in ability of jennies and mares to conceive with cooled and frozen semen containing glycerol or not.