REVIEW article
Front. Endocrinol.
Sec. Reproduction
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fendo.2025.1670762
The mechanism of oxidative stress in asthenozoospermia and antioxidant strategies: A Review
Provisionally accepted
- 1Guangzhou Huashang Vocational College, Guangzhou, China
- 2Shandong Province Hospital of Occupational Disease, Shandong, China
- 3Medical Center Hospital of Qionglai City, Chengdu, China
- 4Guilin Medical University, Guilin, China
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Asthenozoospermia, a leading cause of male infertility, is closely associated with oxidative stress (OS), which reflects an imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and antioxidant capacity. ROS originate from both endogenous sources (e.g., inflammation and infection) and exogenous exposures (e.g., lifestyle and environmental pollutants). At physiological levels, ROS participate in key processes such as sperm proliferation, maturation, capacitation, acrosome reaction, and fertilization. However, excessive ROS become detrimental, damaging sperm membrane lipids, DNA integrity, and mitochondrial function, ultimately leading to reduced sperm motility and impaired fertility. A systematic understanding of the sources and mechanisms of ROS in asthenozoospermia is essential for developing targeted interventions. This review highlights the comprehensive integration of multiple ROS sources and their multi-level damaging effects, with a particular focus on mitochondrial dysfunction as a central mechanism in OS-induced sperm damage. Furthermore, we discuss the potential of antioxidant-based strategies and propose future directions for targeted therapies. This work aims to provide new insights into the treatment of asthenozoospermia and facilitate a shift from empirical management to mechanism-targeted therapies in clinical practice.
Keywords: Oxidative Stress, Asthenozoospermia, Sperm Motility, Antioxidants, Fertility
Received: 23 Jul 2025; Accepted: 18 Sep 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Mo, Wu, Zhang, Zhang, Peng, He and Gao. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Peng Zhang, 15615318527@163.com
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