Effect of heat stress on Spermatogenesis

Spermatogenesis is a complex series of processes involved in distinction of spermatogonia into mature spermatozoa. These developmental processes are influenced by different factors, including heat stress that it reduces sperm quality and negatively effects fertility. It is difficult to avoid the factors like life style, occupational, environmental to pathophysiological factors that increase the temperature of scrotum. So, testicular thermoregulation is essential to ensure production of viable and efficient sperm to maintain fertility. A number of studies conducted over past few decades have examined the adverse effects of heat on spermatogenesis in various mammalian species. In this study, the aim was to discuss the effects of heat on spermatogenesis cycle of germ cells and molecular response upon exposure to heat and possible mechanisms involved in germ cell damage caused by heat, apoptosis, DNA damage and autophagy. In this study, relevant articles between 1997 and 2016 were obtained by searching PubMed database and using Google Scholar search engine. Temperature plays an important role in the development of germ cells as well as reproductive cycle of living beings. But failure to thermoregulation scrotum increases the temperature of the testicles, which can lead to genital heat stress, and this is detrimental to spermatogenesis. Conducting more investigations and paying more attention to different mechanisms of heat effects on testis and sperm could lead to impressive improvement in etiology of male infertility