Tu199 - Semen Inflammation to Fertility Challenges: Unraveling the Immune Cross-talk Between Male and Female Genital Tracts and Its Impact on Offspring

Abstract Text: Male infertility accounts for up to 50% of infertility cases and urogenital inflammation has been proposed as a cause. Chronic prostatitis patients show semen inflammation and reduced sperm quality. Given that the seminal fluid is crucial not only for fertilization but also for inducing immunoregulation in the female genital tract (FGT) to support embryo implantation and pregnancy development, chronic prostatitis could have further effects on reproduction. Herein, we aimed to investigate the impact of Experimental Autoimmune Prostatitis (EAP) on male fertility, immunomodulation in the FGT, and offspring development.
EAP was induced in C57BL/6 male mice. The prostate-specific immune response, prostate histopathology, and sperm quality were evaluated. Mating experiments with female BALB/c mice were performed to assess fertility parameters, uterine immune cell infiltration and cytokine/chemokine expression, and offspring development.
EAP males exhibited chronic prostate inflammation, semen inflammation and oxidative stress, and reduced sperm quality. Females mated with EAP males showed significantly increased uterine leukocyte infiltration, upregulated expression of IL-1β and IL-17A, along with reduced IL-10, and downregulated expression of embryotopic factors (LIF, IL-6 and IGFBP-1) whereas increased expression of the pro-apoptotic factor TRAIL. Additionally, females mated with EAP males showed significantly lower fertility indexes, and higher rates of embryo loss. Strikingly, offspring sired by EAP males exhibited reduced growth and decreased sperm quality when adults.
Thus, chronic prostatitis causes semen inflammation and disrupts immunoregulation in the FGT, compromising fertility and negatively impacting offspring development. These findings highlight the importance to properly assess male urogenital inflammation to safeguard fertility and offspring health.