The Relationship Between Widespread Pollution Exposure and Oxidized Products of Nucleic Acids in Seminal Plasma and Urine in Males Attending a Fertility Center

Abstract

Background: In recent decades, there has been an increase in male infertility, and in many cases, the etiology remains unclear. Several studies relate male hypo-fertility to xenobiotic exposure, even if no data exist about multiple exposure at the environmental level. Methods: The study involved 86 males with diagnosis of idiopathic male infertility (IMI), and 46 controls with no alteration in sperm characteristics. Seminal plasma (SP) and urine samples were analyzed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to quantify biomarkers of exposure (the main metabolites of benzene, toluene, 1,3-butadiene, 3-monochloropropanediol, styrene, and naphthol) and effect (oxidized products of nucleic acids).Results: Biomarker concentrations were similar in subjects with IMI and controls even if a stronger correlation between biomarkers of exposure and effects were observed in SP. Data show that, both in SP and urine, most metabolites were inter-correlated, indicating a simultaneous co-exposure to the selected substances at the environmental level. Principal component analysis showed in SP the clustering of mercapturic acids indicating a preferential metabolic pathway with Glutathione (GSH) depletion and, consequently, an increase of oxidative stress. This result was also confirmed by multivariable analysis through the development of explanatory models for oxidized products of nucleic acids. Conclusions: This study highlights how oxidative stress on the male reproductive tract can be associated with a different representation of metabolic pathways making the reproductive tract itself a target organ for different environmental pollutants. Our results demonstrate that SP is a suitable matrix to assess the exposure and evaluate the effects of reproductive toxicants in environmental/occupational medicine. The statistical approach proposed in this work represents a model appropriate to study the relationship between multiple exposure and effect, applicable even to a wider variety of chemicals.

Sperm Antioxidant Biomarkers and Their Correlation with Clinical Condition and Lifestyle with Regard to Male Reproductive Potential

“…The obstacle in recognizing the parameters of oxidative stress as biomarkers of male infertility is the lack of automated methods for measuring free radical damage, short half-life (T 1/2 ) of free radicals, as well as lack of a combined assessment of individual oxidant-antioxidant parameters with clinical factors, and environmental conditions. Therefore, it can be expected that only a comprehensive set of oxidative stress parameters and other recognized predictors of male infertility, such as seminogram assessment [ 29 ], sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) [ 30 ], contribution of environmental factors (smoking, extremely high and low temperatures, and viral infections) [ 31 , 32 , 33 ], and eating habits, can provide information on dynamic changes in male gonad activities and reproductive potential during and after the occurrence of these factors.…”

Web- and Artificial Intelligence–Based Image Recognition For Sperm Motility Analysis: Verification Study

“…In the face of emerging pandemics causing city lockdown and health care need for remote regions, tele-medicine will prevail and requires on-line processes of data and analysis connected with off-line point-of-care tests for end users. The Bemaner system is a prime example of this type of implementation, especially for infertility, which is always related to the following aspects: environmental pollution, life style, and diet [ 15 - 17 ], the analysis of big data could contribute much more than traditional case reports in research [ 18 ].…”

Web- and Artificial Intelligence–Based Image Recognition For Sperm Motility Analysis: Verification Study (Preprint)

“…In the face of emerging pandemics causing city lockdown and health care need for remote regions, tele-medicine will prevail and requires on-line processes of data and analysis connected with off-line point-of-care tests for end users. The Bemaner system is a prime example of this type of implementation, especially for infertility, which is always related to the following aspects: environmental pollution, life style, and diet [15][16][17], the analysis of big data could contribute much more than traditional case reports in research [18].…”