Male infertility is responsible for an estimated 50% of all cases of infertility. Treatments for male infertility include surgery, in-vitro fertilization, hormone therapy, and herbal remedies. Assisted reproductive technologies and methods have made it possible to identify and treat previously untreatable causes of male infertility. Currently available treatments for male infertility are prohibitively expensive, difficult to obtain, necessitate a lengthy course of treatment, and have a host of side effects. Herbal therapy offers male infertility treatment that is less expensive and has fewer side effects than other treatments. The current review focuses on the various treatment options for male infertility.

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Objective: To investigate effect of iron supplementation on the risk of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy in non-anaemic pregnant women. Methods: A literature search was conducted using three categories of terms with its synonyms or related words: “iron”, “supplement”, “hypertensive disorders in pregnancy” through MEDLINE (OVID), CINAHL, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science, ICTRP, and ClinicalTrials.gov, and manual search of references was used in seven potential resources. The inclusion criteria were randomized control trials (RCTs), published in English, full-text available, having healthy pregnant women without anaemia for study participants, and having hypertensive disorders in pregnancy at the end of pregnancy as the outcome. The risk of bias assessment tool was used for quality appraisal. Meta-analysis was conducted by calculating the fixed and random effects of the odds ratio (OR) for iron supplementation among non-anaemic pregnant women compared with the incidence of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy. The range of the study’s estimation accuracy was reflected by a 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: Four RCTs were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled results showed that iron supplementation possibly had no effect on the incidence of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.81-1.07; P=0.30), gestational hypertension (OR 1.37, 95% CI 0.69-2.73; P=0.36) as well as on the development of preeclampsia (OR 1.45, 95% CI 0.71-2.97; P=0.31). Conclusions: Iron supplementation has no effect on the incidence of hypertension in non-anaemic pregnant women. In general, there is a lack of evidence for the association between iron supplementation and the incidence of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy among non-anaemic pregnant women, and further studies are needed.

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Objective: To evaluate the impact of seasonal and geographical temperature on sperm parameters in Indian men who were partners in subfertile couples. Methods: A retrospective review of the records of semen analysis from January 2009 to December 2017 that was performed as part of primary evaluation of infertile couple was undertaken. Mean values of various semen parameters were compared between seasons using one-way analysis of variance test followed by Bonferroni pair wise post-hoc comparison test. Bivariate Pearson correlation coefficient was applied to measure the correlation between age, sperm parameters and annual temperature/seasons. The logistic regression analysis was further carried out to identify significant variables contributing to normal progressive motility of sperm. Results: A total of 3 433 reports of semen samples were analysed. There was no significant seasonal variation in the mean volume, concentration, and total motility levels (P>0.05) except the mean values of progressive motility (P<0.001). The mean values of progressive motility during pre-monsoon were significantly higher compared to the corresponding values during monsoon and autumn seasons (P<0.01). In all the seasons, total motility had significant positive correlation with sperm concentration and progressive motility (P<0.05). Pre-monsoon emerged as the significant favourable season to get normal progressive motility level (OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.04-1.68) compared to winter. The chances of getting normal progressive motility reduced due to longer abstinence period (OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.80-0.93). When the temperature was more than 28 °C, the likelihood of getting normal progressive motility decreased (OR 0.70, 95% CI 0.51-0.95). Conclusions: The progressive motility of sperms significantly decreases from pre-monsoon to autumn with recovery towards winter, which substantiates the effect of rising temperature on the progressive motility of sperm. This is clinically important to counsel infertile patients, so that they can plan their treatment accordingly.

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Objective: To measure the seasonal effect on endocrinological profiles and sex behavioural profiles during rainy and dry summer seasons in male Andaman local goat in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. Methods: Ten adult male Andaman local goats were selected from the goat breeding farm, ICAR-Central Island Agricultural Research Institute, Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. Endocrinological profiles such as follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), cortisol and prolactin were analysed with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. Sex behavioural profiles such as libido score, mating ability score and sex behavioural score were measured during rainy and dry summer seasons in male Andaman local goat. Results: Endocrinological profiles as well as sex behavioural profiles differed significantly between rainy season and dry summer season (P<0.05). The levels of FSH, LH, testosterone, TSH, T3, and T4 were significantly higher in rainy season than in dry summer season whereas cortisol and prolactin were significantly higher in dry summer season than in rainy season (P<0.05). The ratio of T3:T4 was significantly higher in rainy season than in dry summer season. Similarly, libido score, mating ability score and sex behavioural score were significantly higher in rainy season than in dry summer season (P<0.05). Conclusions: Rainy season has significantly higher beneficial effects than summer season on reproduction and artificial breeding programmes in semi-intensive management of goat under the tropical humid island ecosystem in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

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Objective: To assess the hemodynamic changes that occurred in the main testicular artery at two different locations such as supra and marginal ones in bulls at three different ages. Methods: Eighteen Baladi bulls were divided according to their age into three different age groups: 1 year [n=6; group I with bodyweight (380±10) kg], 3 years [n=6; group II with bodyweight (570±10) kg], and 6 years old [n=6; group III with bodyweight (650±10) kg] Baladi bulls. Circumference of the scrotum, thickness of the mediastinum, testicular dimensions, vascularity, and hormonal levels were measured. Testicular hemodynamics were assessed by Doppler ultrasound scanning. Results: Testicular width, length, and volume were significantly different among the three age groups, with the highest in bulls of group III (P<0.05). The bulls in group III had significantly higher mediastinal line thickness and scrotal circumference than group I (P<0.05), but there was no significant difference between group II and group III. Bulls in group II showed a decline in Doppler indices (resistance and pulsatility indexes) at both testicular branches compared to the other two groups (P<0.05). Supra and marginal end diastolic velocities in the three age groups were significantly different, with the highest in group II (P<0.05). Time average velocity (cm/s) was significantly elevated in group II compared to the other two groups (P<0.05). Both testicular echotextures were significantly decreased in group II (P<0.05). Estradiol and nitric oxide metabolites were significantly high in group II compared to the other two groups (P<0.05). Meanwhile, the level of plasma testosterone was maximum in group III (P<0.05). Positive correlations were found between supratesticular artery resistance and pulsatility indexes (r=0.81; P<0.001), while both resistance and pulsatility indexes had correlated negative with estradiol (r=-0.71 and r=-0.91; P<0.001), and nitric oxide metabolites (r=-0.92 and r=-0.72; P<0.001). Conclusions: Three-year old Baladi bull has the lesser Doppler indices with lesser echotexture and greater nitric oxide with estradiol concentrations, which directs a significant ability for the thermoregulation process. These parameters will help in breeding selection.

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