Research Progress on the Relationship between Obesity-Inflammation-Aromatase Axis and Male Infertility

Figure 3

Effect of aromatase axis disorder on spermatogenic system. During inflammation, the secretion of proinflammatory factors such as IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-α increases the expression of aromatase in adipose tissue. The high expression of aromatase makes androgens irreversibly converted into estrogens, breaking the balance between male and female hormones. That is, the body androgen level drops and the estrogen level rises. Therefore, on the one hand, it can directly regulate the testicular stromal cells so that spermatogenesis cannot proceed normally. On the other hand, the HPG axis is inhibited by inhibiting the release of FSH and LH as well as Leydig and Sertoli cells, thus hindering the process of spermatogenesis.