The Death of Sperm Cells

A major factor affecting male fertility is excessive death of germ cells, both immature germ cells and mature spermatozoa. It can be due to various factors causing testicular and/or post-testicular damage, such as infections, obstructive conditions, toxins, oxidative stress, hormonal imbalance, hyperthermia, and anti-sperm antibodies. Massive death of spermatozoa leads to a high proportion of dead sperm cells in the ejaculate (necrozoospermia or necrospermia) while death of immature germ cells can lead to low sperm count (oligozoospermia or oligospermia). Cell death can occur both by necrosis and by apoptosis; in recent decades, it has been found that apoptosis of mature spermatozoa is not only possible but quite common, and can contribute to infertility. Treatment approaches are primarily directed to the underlying condition, i.e. removing the cause(s) of sperm cell death whenever possible, but include also attempts to bypass the cell death event by intracytoplasmic sperm injection with testicular spermatozoa.