Relationships between seminal plasma metals/metalloids and semen quality, sperm apoptosis and DNA integrity

• Published in: Environmental pollution (1987) 2017-05, Vol.224, p.224-234
• Main Authors: Wang, Yi-Xin, Wang, Peng, Feng, Wei, Liu, Chong, Yang, Pan, Chen, Ying-Jun, Sun, Li, Sun, Yang, Yue, Jing, Gu, Long-Jie, Zeng, Qiang, Lu, Wen-Qing
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Apoptosis; Apoptosis - drug effects; Biomarkers - analysis; China; DNA Damage - drug effects; DNA integrity; Environmental Exposure - adverse effects; Environmental Exposure - analysis; Epidemiology; Humans; Infertility, Male; Male; Metalloids - adverse effects; Metalloids - analysis; Metals - adverse effects; Metals - analysis; Oxidative Stress - drug effects; Reproductive Health; Semen - cytology; Semen - drug effects; Semen - metabolism; Semen Analysis; Semen quality; Seminal plasma metals/metalloids; Sperm Count; Sperm Motility - drug effects; Spermatozoa - cytology; Spermatozoa - drug effects; Spermatozoa - metabolism; Spermatozoa - pathology
• ISSN: 0269-7491; 1873-6424
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2017.01.083

This study aimed to investigate the relationships between environmental exposure to metals/metalloids and semen quality, sperm apoptosis and DNA integrity using the metal/metalloids levels in seminal plasma as biomarkers. We determined 18 metals/metalloids in seminal plasma using an inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry among 746 men recruited from a reproductive medicine center. Associations of these metals/metalloids with semen quality (n = 746), sperm apoptosis (n = 331) and DNA integrity (n = 404) were evaluated using multivariate linear and logistic regression models. After accounting for multiple comparisons and confounders, seminal plasma arsenic (As) quartiles were negatively associated with progressive and total sperm motility using multivariable linear regression analysis, which were in accordance with the trends for increased odds ratios (ORs) for below-reference semen quality parameters in the logistic models. We also found inverse correlations between cadmium (Cd) quartiles and progressive and total sperm motility, whereas positive correlations between zinc (Zn) quartiles and sperm concentration, between copper (Cu) and As quartiles and the percentage of tail DNA, between As and selenium (Se) quartiles and tail extent and tail distributed moment, and between tin (Sn) categories and the percentage of necrotic spermatozoa (all Ptrend