Studies on Men's Health and Fertility provides a comprehensive series
of up-to-the-minute reviews addressing the role of oxidative stress in
the aetiology of reproductive pathologies in the male. This volume
represents by far the most detailed, authoritative review of the field
that has been produced to date. The text encompasses the basic science
of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production by mammalian spermatozoa,
the way in which these highly reactive molecules are processed by the
germ line and the physiological significance of this redox activity in
the generation of a functional gamete. The factors responsible for
perturbing the delicate balance between physiological redox signaling on
the one hand and oxidative stress on the other are also extensively
reviewed and some of the first clues concerning the underlying
mechanisms (age, heat, infection, cryostorage, aberrant lipid
metabolism), clearly identified. From a clinical perspective there are
chapters setting out the methods we should be using to diagnose
oxidative stress in the male germ line, a clinical perspective on the
aetiology of this condition and detailed considerations of the most
suitable means of ameliorating such stress from a therapeutic point of
view.
Studies on Men's Health and Fertility is intended to provide
clinicians and scientists with a snap shot of the current status of this
exciting, rapidly moving field. The book will be of value to clinicians
interested in strategies for the management of oxidative stress in their
infertility patients and scientists wishing to understand the molecular
mechanisms underpinning the generation of ROS by these cells and its
pathophysiological significance. It was not so long ago that the ability
of spermatozoa to generate ROS was a hotly disputed topic. With the
publication of this book such doubts can finally be laid to rest. There
is now no doubt that these cells actively generate ROS, that oxidative
stress is a major contributor to defects in male reproductive health and
that the successful clinical management of this condition depends on
developing a deeper understanding of the underlying molecular
mechanisms. In this quest, Studies on Men's Health and Fertility will
be seen as a clear and important milestone.
