ReviewAntioxidants to enhance fertility: Role of eNOS and potential benefits

The use of antioxidants is now often used as a pharmacological adjunct to limit infertility. Indeed, the lay public rightly perceives oxidative stress and, thus, antioxidant treatment as important modulators of infertility. While the direct effects of antioxidant treatment on the quality of semen and oocytes are still under investigation, a significant body of evidence points to loss of vascular tone as a root-cause of erectile dysfunction and, possibly, alterations to female reproduction.In this article, we will critically review the often neglected link between vascular dysfunction and infertility. A particular emphasis will be on the potential use of antioxidants to increase fertility and promote conception.

Mitochondria are the major contributors to free radical production by Human Aortic Endothelial Cells (HAEC). Confluent HAEC were challenged with the calcium ionophore A23187 in the presence or absence of apocyanin (an inhibitor of NADPH oxidase), allopurinol (an inhibitor of xanthine oxidase), or rotenone (an inhibitor of mitochondrial complex I).139