title: Low lead environmental exposure alters semen quality and sperm chromatin condensation in northern Mexico.
abstract: We evaluated environmental-lead (Pb) effects on semen quality and sperm chromatin, considering Pb in seminal fluid (PbSF), spermatozoa (PbSpz), and blood (PbB) as exposure biomarkers in urban men (9.3 microg/dL PbB). Several individuals (44%) showed decreases in sperm quality; sperm concentration, motility, morphology and viability associated negatively with PbSpz, whereas semen volume associated negatively with PbSF. Multiple linear regression estimated PbSF and PbSpz thresholds for alterations in semen quality. Forty-eight percent of samples showed high values of nuclear chromatin condensation (NCD) positively associated with PbSF and zinc in spermatozoa (ZnSpz). ZnSpz values were higher than in fertile men. These results suggest that Pb may affect sperm chromatin by altering sperm Zn availability. PbB was not associated with semen quality or NCD, suggesting that Pb in semen compartments assesses better the amount of Pb in the reproductive tract; therefore, these are better biomarkers to evaluate toxicity at low Pb-exposure levels.
authors.affiliation: Sección Externa de Toxicología, CINVESTAV-IPN, Ave. IPN #2508, Colonia Zacatenco, México D.F. 07360, Mexico.
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hernández-Ochoa
authors.forename: Gonzalo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: García-Vargas
authors.forename: Lizbeth
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: López-Carrillo
authors.forename: Marisela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rubio-Andrade
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Morán-Martínez
authors.forename: Mariano E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Cebrián
authors.forename: Betzabet
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Quintanilla-Vega
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002843:Chromatin / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012661:Semen / Q000187:drug effects; D013076:Sperm Count; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000187:drug effects; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000187:drug effects; D015032:Zinc / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin; D007854:Lead; D015032:Zinc