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Effects of aging on the male reproductive system

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Abstract

The study aims to discuss the effects of aging on the male reproductive system. A systematic review was performed using PubMed from 1980 to 2014. Aging is a natural process comprising of irreversible changes due to a myriad of endogenous and environmental factors at the level of all organs and systems. In modern life, as more couples choose to postpone having a child due to various socioeconomic reasons, research for understanding the effects of aging on the reproductive system has gained an increased importance. Paternal aging also causes genetic and epigenetic changes in spermatozoa, which impair male reproductive functions through their adverse effects on sperm quality and count as, well as, on sexual organs and the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. Hormone production, spermatogenesis, and testes undergo changes as a man ages. These small changes lead to decrease in both the quality and quantity of spermatozoa. The offspring of older fathers show high prevalence of genetic abnormalities, childhood cancers, and several neuropsychiatric disorders. In addition, the latest advances in assisted reproductive techniques give older men a chance to have a child even with poor semen parameters. Further studies should investigate the onset of gonadal senesce and its effects on aging men.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Alaaddin Hekim for his help in drawing of the graphical figures

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Biology, Ondokuz Mayis University, 55139, Samsun, Turkey

    Sezgin Gunes, Gulgez Neslihan Taskurt Hekim & Mehmet Alper Arslan

  2. Health Sciences Institute, Department of Multidisciplinary Molecular Medicine, Ondokuz Mayis University, Samsun, Turkey

    Sezgin Gunes, Mehmet Alper Arslan & Ramazan Asci

  3. Faculty of Medicine, Department of Urology, Ondokuz Mayis University, 55139, Samsun, Turkey

    Ramazan Asci

Authors
  1. Sezgin Gunes
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  2. Gulgez Neslihan Taskurt Hekim
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  3. Mehmet Alper Arslan
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  4. Ramazan Asci
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Correspondence to Sezgin Gunes.

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Capsule

The study aims to discuss the effects of aging on the male reproductive system. Paternal aging causes genetic and epigenetic changes in spermatozoa, which impair male reproductive functions through their adverse effects on sperm quality and count, as well as, sexual organs and hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. As a result, the offspring of older fathers show high prevalence of a few genetic abnormalities, childhood cancers, and several neuropsychiatric disorders.

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Gunes, S., Hekim, G.N.T., Arslan, M.A. et al. Effects of aging on the male reproductive system. J Assist Reprod Genet 33, 441–454 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-016-0663-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-016-0663-y

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