Oligoasthenozoospermia(OAS)is the main factor for male infertility,and the cause and pathogenesis of the disease remain unknown.Emerging data indicate that cellular autophagy is closely correlated with male reproduction,especially the biosynthet-ic and catabolic processes of spermatogenesis and sperm maturation.Nonetheless,it is not yet clear whether autophagy plays a protec-tive or a harmful role in these processes.Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)has exhibited a definite therapeutic effect on OAS,and its action mechanism might be closely associated with cellular autophogy,and its related markers and pathways.This article systemati-cally reviews the role of cellular autophagy in spermatogenesis and sperm maturation,as well as the therapeutic effect of TCM on OAS by regulating the process of autophagy,aiming to gain a deeper insight into the potential mechanism of TCM acting on OAS and provide some references for further improvement of its clinical efficacy.
oligoasthenozoospermiaspermatogenesis and maturationcellular autophagyTraditional Chinese Medicinere-search progress