THE EFFECT OF THE SEMEN MICROBIOME ON MALE FERTILITY: RESULTS OF A NEW STUDY

 The effect of the semen microbiome on male fertility: results of a new study

A recent study found a relationship between the semen microbiome and a man's ability to conceive. Here are the most important points.

Beginning: What is the microbiome? What is the summary of the study?

The microbiome is the group of microbes, such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses, that live naturally on our bodies and inside us, most of which are beneficial, but some are harmful and pathogenic.

Similar to the gut microbiome (the good bacteria found in the intestines), which we know a lot about in our overall and digestive health, scientists are doing a lot of research to understand the impact of different types of bacteria and other microbes that naturally live within other organs in the body.

From this standpoint, this study from the University of California Los Angeles aims to study whether there is an effect of the semen microbiome on a man's fertility and the health of his sperm.

Study result: The study found that the semen microbiome may actually be related to sperm health and male fertility. It found significant differences in semen bacteria between men who had normal sperm and others who had abnormal sperm.

This study highlights the potential importance of the semen microbiome in a man's ability to reproduce, and opens up exciting prospects for further future research, to further understand the causes of male infertility, and to develop more precise treatments to correct sperm problems.

Details: What the study found!

1- Specific microbes may affect sperm motility

The study revealed that a certain type of bacteria found in semen; A bacteria known as Lactobacillus iners may have a negative effect on male fertility. An increase in the proportion of these bacteria in semen has been linked to problems with sperm motility.

This is because L. iners bacteria may create an inflamed environment that harms sperm motility. According to the results of previous studies, it has been shown that this type of bacteria produces quantities of lactic acid, which creates an inflammatory environment that may harm sperm motility.

2- Strains of microbes from the same family may have different effects

The researchers also discovered the presence of three types of bacteria from the same family; It is a family of Pseudomonas in semen samples of all individuals, who have normal or abnormal sperm health.

It was found that although these three types are from the same family, they have opposite effects on sperm health. The results showed that the percentage of Pseudomonas fluorescens and Pseudomonas stutzeri was high in abnormal semen samples, while the percentage of Pseudomonas putida was lower in abnormal semen samples.

This means that types of microbes from the same family may not have the same effect on sperm health, as some types may affect negatively and others positively.

last word

“There is a lot to be explored about the semen microbiome and its relationship to subfertility in men,” says lead researcher Vadim Osadchi, M.D., an assistant physician in the department of urology at the University of California, Los Angeles. He continued: "But these preliminary results provide us with valuable information that can lead us towards a deeper understanding of this relationship. Our research adds to evidence from previous, smaller studies, and paves the way for more comprehensive investigations in the future to unveil the complex relationship between the semen microbiome and fertility."