Exposure to acrylonitrile induced DNA strand breakage and sex chromosome aneuploidy in human spermatozoa.
To explore acrylonitrile (ACN)-induced DNA strand breakage and sex chromosome aneuploidy in human spermatozoa, semen parameters were examined among 30 acrylonitrile-exposed workers according to WHO laboratory manual for the examination of human sperm. DNA strand breakage of sperm cells was investigated among 30 ACN-exposed workers using single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE). The frequency of sex chromosome aneuploidy in sperm cells was analyzed among nine ACN-exposed workers using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). The geometrical mean of sperm density was 75 x 10(6)ml(-1) in exposure group, significantly lower than 140 x 10(6)ml(-1) in the control. The geometrical mean of sperm number per ejaculum was 205 x 10(6) in exposure group, significantly lower than 280 x 10(6) in the control. The rates of comet sperm nuclei were 28.7% in exposure group, significantly higher than 15.0% in the control. Mean tail length was 9.8 microm in exposure group, longer than 4.3 microm in the control. The frequency of sex chromosome disomy was 0.69% in exposure group, significantly higher than 0.35% in the control. XY-bearing sperm was the most common sex chromosome disomy, with an average rate of 0.37% in exposure group, and 0.20% in the control. XX- and YY-bearing sperm accounted for an additional 0.09 and 0.23% in exposure group, and 0.05 and 0.10% in the control. The results indicate that ACN affect semen quality among ACN-exposed workers. ACN or its metabolites could induce reproductive defects as an in vivo multipotent genotoxic agent by inducing DNA strand breakage and sex chromosome non-disjunction in spermatogenesis.
Xu
De-Xiang
DX
Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, PR China. xudex@mail.hf.ah.cn
Zhu
Qi-Xing
QX
Zheng
Lu-Kang
LK
Wang
Qu-Nan
QN
Shen
Han-Ming
HM
Deng
Li-Xia
LX
Ong
Choon-Nam
CN
D000181:Acrylonitrile; D000328:Adult; D000782:Aneuploidy; D002875:Chromosomes / Q000648:ultrastructure; D041321:Chromosomes, Human, X; D041322:Chromosomes, Human, Y; D020552:Comet Assay; D004249:DNA Damage; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008297:Male; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*
D000181:Acrylonitrile