Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32013061›Full record

ReviewJournal of clinical medicine2020

Evaluation of Sperm Mitochondrial Function: A Key Organelle for Sperm Motility.

Federica Barbagallo, Sandro La Vignera, Rossella Cannarella, Antonio Aversa, Aldo E Calogero, Rosita A Condorelli

Open access · goldAbstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Journal of clinical medicine, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 76 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
76citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
19.7field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

76 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 153 citations in OpenAlex.

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  7. Enhancing cryopreservation performance in semen quality of Bali bulls (Journal of advanced veterinary and animal research · 2026
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16 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Federica BarbagalloDepartment of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Policlinico "G. Rodolico", University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy.
Sandro La VigneraDepartment of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Policlinico "G. Rodolico", University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy.
Rossella CannarellaDepartment of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Policlinico "G. Rodolico", University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy.
Antonio AversaDepartment of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, "Magna Graecia" University, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy.
Aldo E CalogeroDepartment of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Policlinico "G. Rodolico", University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy.
Rosita A CondorelliDepartment of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Policlinico "G. Rodolico", University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy.
University of Catania · ITMagna Graecia University · IT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThe role of nutraceuticals in the treatment of male infertility, especially in the "idiopathic form", remains the subject of significant debate. Many antioxidants improve sperm motility but the exact mechanism by which they act is still unclear. Although several studies have shown a correlation between sperm motility and mitochondrial function, the effects of antioxidant therapy on mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) are poorly studied. The first aim of this review was to evaluate the efficacy of antioxidants on mitochondrial function and, consequently, on sperm motility in male infertile patients. MATERIAL AND

methodswe performed a systematic search of all randomized controlled and uncontrolled studies available in the literature that reported sperm motility and MMP at baseline and after antioxidant administration in-vivo and in-vitro in patients with idiopathic asthenozoospermia. Pubmed, MEDLINE, Cochrane, Academic One Files, Google Scholar and Scopus databases were used.

resultsUnexpectedly, among 353 articles retrieved, only one study met our inclusion criteria and showed a significant effect of myoinositol on both MMP and sperm motility. We then summarized the main knowledge on anatomy and metabolism of sperm mitochondria, techniques allowing to assess sperm mitochondria function and its relationships with low sperm motility. Finally, we paid special attention to the effect of antioxidant/prokinetic molecules for the treatment of asthenozoospermia.

conclusionsThis is the first systematic review that has attempted to evaluate the effects of antioxidants on MMP and sperm motility. Although results are not conclusive due to the dearth of studies, the close relationship between mitochondria and sperm motility is clear. The investigation of this correlation could provide valuable information to be exploited in clinical practice for the treatment of male infertility.

Indexed as

antioxidantsasthenozoospermiamale infertilitymitochondrial functionprokinetic therapySperm motility

Identifiers

PMID32013061
PMCPMC7073944
OpenAlexW3003996334

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.