Background Male infertility is a widespread condition among couples. In about 50% of
cases, couple infertility is attributable to the male partner, mainly due to a failure in …

Male germ cell development depends on multiple biological events that combine epigenetic
reprogramming, cell cycle regulation, and cell migration in a spatio-temporal manner. Sertoli …

Background P-element–induced wimpy testis (PIWI)–interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are short
(21 to 35 nucleotides in length) and noncoding and are found almost exclusively in germ …

Animals face unpredictable challenges that require rapid, facultative physiological reactions
to support survival but may compromise reproduction. Bats have a long-standing reputation …

The pleiotropic effects of glucocorticoids in metabolic, developmental, immune and stress
response processes have been extensively investigated; conversely, their roles in …

Background Studies have reported associations between psychological stress and semen
quality, but most have been performed on selected populations using different stress …

Maternal stress and glucocorticoid exposure during pregnancy have multigenerational
effects on neuroendocrine function and behaviours in offspring. Importantly, effects are …

Circadian and circannual rhythms influence not only the environment, but also human
physiology. In times of increasing numbers of couples struggling with infertility, and thus …

Whether glucocorticoids (GC) can directly affect human testicular functions is not well
understood. A predominant site of GC receptor (GR; NR3C1) expression in the adult testis …

Caffeine is a natural psychoactive chemical found in beverages made from coffee. In
addition, it is added by the manufacturers of a large number of sodas and energy drinks. It …