MiOXSYS

Since the landmark paper on the production of hydrogen peroxide by human sperm published by MacLeod in 1943, reports on oxidative stress and its involvement in numerous diseases including cardiovascular diseases, cancers, endometriosis, aging, obesity, or infertility have significantly increased to 315,251 entries on PubMed on 26 September 2023. Subsequently, it became clear that the homeostasis between oxidative stress (OS) and reductive stress (RS) is essential for normal physiology. Therefore, one should rather speak of “redox stress” to cover the whole spectrum. There are five different approaches to detect redox stress, namely, by measurement of (1) antioxidant enzymes, (2) low molecular weight antioxidants, (3) oxidants, (4) products of oxidative damage, and (5) the balance between oxidants and antioxidants. The latter approach includes the recently developed electrochemical technique of the measurement of the oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) using the Male Infertility Oxidative System (MiOXSYS). This methodology is a snapshot of the redox balance at the time of measurement based on the Nernst Equation. Using this technique, elevated oxidative stress levels have been detected in trauma patients, in patients with sepsis, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome, as well as in semen of infertile men. Relevant cut-off values have been identified. Available data indicate this method as a quick and reliable diagnostic method.