Is Male Infertility Linked to a Missing Protein?

Defective Gene Makes Fatherhood Less Likely But Not Impossible

A group of scientists in China and the USA report that they have found a reason for male infertility when sperm counts and sperm motility are normal. The absence of a protective protein surrounding sperm cells, they say, makes fertilization of the egg impossible. And one in four men has two copies of the recessive gene that causes the sperm defect.

Why Sperm Need a Protective Coat

When semen is ejaculated in sexual intercourse, the individual sperm cells typically land in the mucus lining the cervix. Cervical mucus can provide a medium in which the sperm "swims" to the fallopian tubes to fertilize the egg, or it can present a barrier to conception. Either way, sperm have to be able to bind to the mucus to use it as a vehicle to reach the egg.

The way sperm bind to cervical mucus is through a protein known as a lectin. These kinds of proteins are very common in both plants and animals. In plants, some lectins bind to minerals the plant needs from the soil. Other lectins serve to protect the plant from predators by binding to receptors in the grazing animal's digestive tract, or the human digestive tract, as the case may be. Lectins in beans, for example, cause bloat in animals and flatulence in humans, discouraging the eating of the bean's "children."

In animals, lectins activate enzyme. One of the lectins on the surface of sperm activates an enzyme that dissolves protein in the cervical mucus to make a path to reach the egg. It dissolves just enough of the mucus to allow the sperm to move without interfering with the ability of the mucus to protect it.

The lectin beta-defensin helps the sperm move through the cervix and keeps it from being attacked by the female partner's immune system. A single defective gene for making beta-defensin in the father has no effect on the ability of sperm to reach the fallopian tubes. Two defective genes, however, keep the sperm from making beta-defensin and greatly reduce the ability of a sperm to reach and fertilize the egg. If the egg is not fertilized within about 24 hours after its release, it is necessary to wait until the next ovulation to try again.

Genetic Defect Does Not Make Fatherhood Impossible

Nearly one-quarter of all men, the Chinese and American scientists report, have not just one but two defective copies of the gene for beta-defensin. Many of these men, however, can become fathers if they just try long enough.

Recessive genes that fail to code for beta-defensin do not mean that a man can never become a father, but rather that conditions have to be ideal for conception. There are many things the female partner can do to help with timing intercourse and changing the consistency of cervical mucus to compensate for problems with sperm. Not every woman wants to monitor her fertility in as much depth as may help compensate for problems with sperm, but there are very simple interventions that help over 90% of couples trying to conceive.

Natural Approaches to Compensating for Lectin Defects Causing Male Infertility

There is not a lot men who have the genetic defect that affects the viability of sperm in the cervical fluid other than to "save up" ejaculate for 1 to 4 days before intercourse intended to conceive a child. By avoiding any kind of ejaculation for up to 4 days, men maximize volume of semen, number of sperm, and opportunities for fertilization of their female partner.

By having intercourse in the missionary (man on top) position, the sperm are ejaculated closer to the opening of the fallopian tubes and are less affected by the consistency of cervical mucus. But most of what can be done to compensate for lectin defects has to be done by the female partner. Here are key steps.

1. Make sure intercourse intended for conceiving a child is timed just before ovulation

A woman's egg (or, when there would be twins or triplets or more, eggs) is only viable for about 24 hours after it is released from the fallopian tubes. The sperm take 24 to 72 hours to travel through the cervix to the uterus to fertilize the egg. This means that couple should have intercourse shortly before ovulation to maximize chances of conception.

One way to time intercourse for conception is what I call the "opposite of the rhythm method." Instead of taking temperature or observing cervical mucus to avoid pregnancy, the couple does the opposite to increase chances of pregnancy. One sign ovulation is imminent is changes in the consistency of cervical mucus to "springy," something very similar to egg white.

Many women don't care to be that observant of their cervical mucus, but up to 70% of couples who time intercourse on the basis of changes in cervical mucus get pregnant in 12 months. There are also fertility monitors, such as the Clearblue Easy Fertility Monitor, which measure hormone levels in urine samples, that indicate the best time to have sex to conceive.

2. Take evening primrose oil

Hard, dark cervical mucus is often the result of inflammatory processes in the cervix. Evening primrose oil, taken in capsule form, by mouth, acts as an anti-inflammatory. By changing the consistency of the mucus, evening primrose oil and similar anti-inflammatories (flaxseed oil, fish oil, microalgae oil) may make the small difference between failure to conceive and the beginning of a successful pregnancy.

3. Control yeast infections

Yeast infections trigger an immune reaction against the buildup of yeast cells. These activate white blood cells can also attack sperm, especially sperm that lack the lectin that helps them "hide" in the cervical mucus to make their journey to the egg. The best time to fight a yeast infection is during the second half of the menstrual period, when progesterone stimulates the growth of the yeast. It is important, of course, not to use douches to control Candida after intercourse to conceive a child.

4. Drink more water

As odd as it may seem, practitioners of Natural Procreative Technology tell us, simply keeping hydrated may increase chances of conception. It isn't necessary to drink so much water that one can hear the stomach slosh, but women seeking to conceive should avoid dehydration to keep cervical mucus flexible. This means drinking before feeling thirsty in hot weather, and drinking at least 8 cups (2 liters) of water every day all year round.

The Natural Procreative Technology center at Creighton University in the United States reports that 50 to 80 per cent of couples seeking to become parents are successful with these simple interventions. And they cost less than 3% of the fees for in vitro fertilization (IVF).