Traditional Chinese Medicine as a Remedy for Male Infertility: A Review
| Autor: | Zhi Dan Liu, Hao Wei Weng, Shao Hu Zhou, Yu Fei Deng, Zhi Wei Weng |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2019 |
| Předmět: |
Aging
male Infertility Urology medicine.medical_treatment Idiopathic infertility 030232 urology & nephrology lcsh:Medicine Review Article Therapeutics Traditional Chinese medicine lcsh:RC870-923 Bioinformatics Male infertility 03 medical and health sciences 0302 clinical medicine Medicine Pharmacology (medical) Epigenetics Medicine Chinese traditional 030219 obstetrics & reproductive medicine In vitro fertilisation Chinese traditional Medicine business.industry Health Policy lcsh:R Multifactorial disease Public Health Environmental and Occupational Health lcsh:Diseases of the genitourinary system. Urology Infertility male medicine.disease Psychiatry and Mental health Reproductive Medicine business Western medicine |
| Zdroj: | The World Journal of Men's Health The World Journal of Men's Health, Vol 37, Iss 2, Pp 175-185 (2019) |
| ISSN: | 2287-4690 2287-4208 |
| DOI: | 10.5534/wjmh.180069 |
| Popis: | Male infertility (MI) is a complex multifactorial disease, and idiopathic infertility accounts for 30% of cases of MI. At present, the evidence for the effectiveness of empirical drugs is limited, and in vitro fertilization is costly and may increase the risk of birth defects and childhood cancers. Therefore, affected individuals may feel obliged to pursue natural remedies. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) may represent a useful option for infertile men. It has been demonstrated that TCM can regulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis and boost the function of Sertoli cells and Leydig cells. TCM can also alleviate inflam-mation, prevent oxidative stress, reduce the DNA fragmentation index, and modulate the proliferation and apoptosis of germ cells. Furthermore, TCM can supply trace elements and vitamins, ameliorate the microcirculation of the testis, decrease the levels of serum anti-sperm antibody, and modify epigenetic markers. However, the evidence in favor of TCM is not compel-ling, which has hindered the development of TCM. This review attempts to elucidate the underlying therapeutic mechanisms of TCM. We also explore the advantages of TCM, differences between TCM and Western medicine, and problems in existing studies. Subsequently, we propose solutions to these problems and present perspectives for the future development of TCM. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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