INTERRUPTION OF ION TRANSPORT PROCESSES IN SPERMATOZOA OF INFERTILE MEN

During the study of the plasma membrane of spermatozoa and its organelles, a great variety of specifically localized ion channels, exchangers, and ATPases was discovered. Although the activity of ion channels and membrane transporters has been studied in detail, their involvement in the mechanisms leading to the dysfunction of male germ cells remains insufficiently elucidated. Numerous scientific works show that the absence of certain transport systems of the plasma membrane due to genetic mutations or their low activity leads to a decrease or loss of sperm motility, morphological changes that worsen the quality of sperm, and is the cause of male infertility. The review examines some ion transport systems that maintain resting membrane potential and ion homeostasis in spermatogenesis. It notes the possibility of using ion channels and membrane transporters as markers to establish the functionality of spermatozoa or as molecular targets for drugs in the treatment of male infertility.