Journal of Lasers in Medical Sciences

Abstract

Introduction: Unhealthy lifestyle choices such as alcohol, chemicals, and heat stress can worsen male infertility. Heat stress can cause damage to the essential structure known as the blood testis barrier (BTB). Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) has been employed in various studies to enhance sperm quality in individuals with genital inflammatory conditions in recent times. The current research sought to study how laser therapy affects spermatogenesis and the structure of the BTB in a mouse model of scrotal heat exposure.
Methods: Thirty adult male NMRI mice, 8 weeks old, were divided into three groups: Control, Hyperthermia, and Hyperthermia+Laser 0.03 J/cm2. The animals in the hyperthermia group had their testicles exposed to water at 43 °C for 20 minutes five times every other day. Then, the testicles were exposed to laser radiation every other day for 35 days, lasting 3 minutes each time, with an energy density of 0.03 J/cm2. Animals were sacrificed, and sperm parameters, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and glutathione (GSH) levels, stereological parameters, and gene expression were assessed in the end.
Results: The study showed that PBMT could significantly enhance sperm quality, the quantity of spermatogenic cells, testicular volume, levels of ROS and GSH, and gene expression related to the blood testis barrier.
Conclusion: Currently, PBMT is a novel approach to addressing male infertility by preserving the integrity of the BTB in Sertoli cells, which in turn supports the growth and specialization of germ cells.