As genetic factors can hardly explain the changes taking place during short time spans, environmental and lifestyle-related factors have been suggested as the causes of time-related deterioration of male reproductive function. However, considering the strong heterogeneity of male fecundity between and within populations, genetic variants might be important determinants of the individual suscept...

At present, light pollution (exposure to light-at-night) both in the form of occupational exposure during night work and as a personal choice and life style, is experienced by numerous night-active members of our society. Disruption of the circadian rhythms induced by light pollution has been associated with cancer in humans. There are epidemiological evidences of increased breast and colon can...

Over the past two decades, it has become clear just how much of our physiology is under the control of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and the cell-intrinsic molecular clock that ticks with a periodicity of approximately 24 h. The SCN prepares our digestive system for meals, our adrenal axis for the stress of waking up in the morning, and the genes expressed in our muscles when we prepare to ...

Macrophages are found throughout reproductive tissues. To determine their role(s), we have studied mice homozygous for a null mutation (Csfm(op)) in the gene encoding the major macrophage growth factor, colony-stimulating factor-1 (CSF-1). Both male and female Csfm(op)/Csfm(op) mice have fertility defects. Males have low sperm number and libido as a consequence of dramatically reduced circulati...