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Riduzione della fertilità maschile nella società contemporanea

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Un possibile declino della spermatogenesi correlato al tempo nelle popolazioni occidentali era stato prospettato già negli anni’ 70 ed è stato evidenziato in una serie di studi pubblicati negli anni’ 90, tuttavia, non mancano lavori che mostrano una stabilità o addirittura un incremento della concentrazione spermatica (CS) negli ultimi decenni. Il dibattito sul continuo declino della CS rimane aperto per le evidenze contraddittorie degli studi, per le difficoltà di utilizzare i dati storici e per l’impossibilità di eliminare tutti i possibili fattori di confusione legati alla campionatura della popolazione, alla metodologia di valutazione del liquido seminale e all’analisi statistica applicata ai dati. La riduzione della CS trova un importante punto di forza nelle evidenze di altri trend secolari, come l’aumento di incidenza del cancro testicolare e delle malformazioni del tratto genitale maschile, che depongono per un declino generale della salute riproduttiva maschile nelle popolazioni occidentali. Sia il declino della CS che l’incidenza del cancro testicolare presentano differenze tra popolazioni di aree geografiche diverse o fra zone rurali ed urbane. Questi fenomeni sono stati correlati all’influenza dei fattori ambientali e dello stile di vita sulla riproduzione maschile. Infatti, dati sperimentali in vitro e nell’animale ed alcune evidenze epidemiologiche hanno sostanziato la convinzione che i fattori legati all’ambiente di vita e di lavoro, lo stile di vita e le abitudini alimentari possano influenzare la funzione riproduttiva maschile. Per alcuni di questi fattori, come il calore, vi sono sufficienti prove di un’ azione negativa sulla qualità della spermatogenesi e sulla fertilità maschile; per altri, come gli inquinanti chimici, non vi sono ancora prove definitive. Anche se sono necessari ulteriori studi per comprendere i possibili meccanismi attraverso i quali questi agenti possano influire sulla salute riproduttiva dell’individuo, nella pratica clinica è opportuno tenere conto dei loro potenziali effetti dannosi.

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  1. Dipartimento Medico-Chirurgico di Internistica Clinica e Sperimentale, Seconda Università di Napoli, Via S. Pansini 5, 80131, Napoli, Italia

    Antonio Agostino Sinisi (Cattedra di Endocrinologia), Dario Esposito (Cattedra di Endocrinologia), Daniela Pasquali (Cattedra di Endocrinologia), Giuseppe Bellastella (Cattedra di Endocrinologia) &  Antonio Bellastella (Cattedra di Endocrinologia)

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  1. Antonio Agostino Sinisi
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  2. Dario Esposito
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Correspondence to Antonio Bellastella.

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Sinisi, A.A., Esposito, D., Pasquali, D. et al. Riduzione della fertilità maschile nella società contemporanea. L’Endocrinologo 6, 192–199 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03344530

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