Date
Thursday, June 27, 2024
Time
9:00 AM - 9:25 AM (EDT)
Track
Session 5: Reproductive Health/Perinatal Outcomes
Session Type
Invited Talk
Name
LATEST DATA ON – VITAMIN D AND MALE REPRODUCTION
Description

Decades of research in human subjects and animals have revealed that calcium and vitamin D also have effects on many other organs including male reproductive organs. The presence of vitamin D receptor, vitamin D activating and inactivating enzymes and calcium channels in the testes, male reproductive tract and human spermatozoa suggests that vitamin D and calcium may modify male reproductive function. Functional animal models have shown that vitamin D deficiency in male rodents leads to a decrease in successful mating and fewer pregnancies, often caused by impaired sperm motility and poor sperm morphology. Human studies have to a lesser extent validated these findings; however, newer studies suggest a positive effect of vitamin D supplementation on semen quality in cases with vitamin D deficiency, which highlights the need for initiatives to prevent vitamin D deficiency. Calcium channels in male reproductive organs and spermatozoa contribute to the regulation of sperm motility and capacitation, both essential for successful fertilisation, which supports a need to avoid vitamin D and calcium deficiency. Studies have demonstrated that vitamin D, as a regulator of calcium homoeostasis, influences calcium influx in the testis and spermatozoa. Emerging evidence suggests a potential link between vitamin D deficiency and male infertility, although further investigation is needed to establish a definitive causal relationship.