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Infertility in Males

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Male infertility affects millions of couples worldwide, arising from various factors that impact different stages of the reproductive process. An endocrine imbalance resulting from conditions like hypogonadism, Klinefelter syndrome, or pituitary disorders can disrupt hormone levels and reduce sperm production. Testicular defects, such as tumors, cryptorchidism, atrophic testes, abnormal sperm morphology, and low sperm count or motility, may arise due to genetic factors, structural...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 3, 2026

Stable Isotope In-Vivo Labeling for Mass-Spectrometry Identification of Paternal Metabolites Transferred from Sperm to Oocyte During Fertilization

Stable Isotope In-Vivo Labeling for Mass-Spectrometry Identification of Paternal Metabolites Transferred from Sperm to Oocyte During Fertilization

Published on: June 17, 2025

Diet-induced obesity in rats leads to a decrease in sperm motility.

Carla D B Fernandez¹, Fernanda F Bellentani, Glaura S A Fernandes

¹Graduate Program in Cell and Structural Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP, Brazil. carladbf@yahoo.com.br

Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology : RB&E

|March 15, 2011

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

High-fat diet induced obesity in rats reduced sperm motility and fertility potential. This study highlights how obesity can negatively impact male reproductive health and sperm quality.

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Last Updated: Jun 3, 2026

Stable Isotope In-Vivo Labeling for Mass-Spectrometry Identification of Paternal Metabolites Transferred from Sperm to Oocyte During Fertilization

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Development and Validation of a Methodology for Establishing Obese Rat Models with Typical Fatty Pancreas

Development and Validation of a Methodology for Establishing Obese Rat Models with Typical Fatty Pancreas

Published on: November 11, 2025

Area of Science:

Reproductive Biology
Endocrinology
Obesity Research

Background:

Obesity is a growing global health concern affecting both children and adults.
The link between obesity and male infertility is debated, necessitating further investigation.
This study addresses the controversial relationship by examining obesity's impact on male reproductive parameters.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the effects of high-fat diet-induced obesity on male reproductive parameters in Wistar rats.
To assess the impact of obesity on sperm quality, sexual hormones, behavior, and fertility.

Main Methods:

Male Wistar rats were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) or standard diet (SD) for varying durations (15, 30, 45 weeks).
Evaluations included adiposity index, serum leptin, reproductive organ weights, sperm counts, sexual hormones, behavior, and fertility assessments (natural mating and in utero insemination).

Main Results:

HFD-fed rats showed increased obesity index and leptin levels.
While reproductive organ weights and sperm counts remained similar, HFD rats exhibited increased estradiol levels.
Sperm motility was significantly reduced in HFD rats, with a trend towards reduced fertility potential after artificial insemination.

Conclusions:

Obesity induced by a high-fat diet impairs male reproductive health by reducing sperm motility.
This reduction in sperm quality can lead to a slight decrease in fertility potential.
The findings suggest that obesity may contribute to male infertility through altered sperm function.