Ferroptosis is a newly defined form of regulated cell death, which is involved in various pathophysiological conditions. However, the role of ferroptosis in
male infertility remains unclear. In this study, 42 asthenozoospermic and 45 normozoospermic individuals participated. To investigate the ferroptosis level in the two groups, the levels of
reactive oxygen species (ROS),
malondialdehyde (MDA), and
iron were measured, and mitochondrial membrane potential (
MMP) was detected as an
indicator of mitochondrial
injuries. Compared with the normozoospermic group, ROS (p < 0.05), MDA (p < 0.001), and
iron (p < 0.001) of the asthenozoospermic group were significantly increased. However, the
asthenozoospermia group had a decreased
MMP level (p < 0.05). In addition, the expression levels of GSH-dependent
peroxidase 4 (GPX4) (p < 0.001) and solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11) (p < 0.05) were also reduced in asthenozoospermic individuals. In asthenozoospermic samples, a significantly high positive correlation was observed between GPX4
mRNA levels and progressive motility (r = 0.397, p = 0.009) and total motility (r = 0.389, p = 0.011), while a negative correlation was observed between GPX4 and
iron concentration (r = - 0.276, p = 0.077). The function of ferroptosis in asthenozoospermic males has never been studied before. In our study, we concluded that GPX4 and SLC7A11 expression levels in
asthenozoospermia patients were related to increased ferroptosis and impaired sperm function, revealing novel molecular insights into the complex systems involved in
male infertility.