title: Association between urinary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolites and sperm DNA damage: a population study in Chongqing, China.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), a class of the most ubiquitous environmental contaminants, may reduce male reproductive functions, but the data from human population studies are very limited.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We designed this study to determine whether environmental exposure to PAHs contributes to the alteration in semen quality, sperm DNA damage, and apoptosis in the general male human population.
  
  
  METHODS
  We measured urinary levels of four PAH metabolites and assessed semen quality, sperm apoptotic markers with Annexin V assay, and sperm DNA damage with comet assay in 232 men from Chongqing, China.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that increased urinary 2-hydroxynaphthalene (2-OHNa) levels were associated with increased comet parameters, including the percentage of DNA in the tail (tail%) [β coefficient = 13.26% per log unit 2-OHNa (micrograms per gram creatinine); 95% confidence interval (CI), 7.97-18.55]; tail length (12.25; 95% CI, 0.01-24.52), and tail distribution (7.55; 95% CI, 1.28-18.83). The urinary level of 1-hydroxypyrene was associated only with increased tail% (5.32; 95% CI, 0.47-10.17). Additionally, the increased levels of four urinary PAH metabolites were significantly associated with decreased vital Annexin V negative sperm counts. However, there was no significant association between urinary PAH metabolite levels and human semen parameters or morphology of the sperm samples.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data indicate that the environmental level of PAH exposure is associated with increased sperm DNA damage but not with semen quality. These findings suggest that exposure to PAHs may disrupt sperm DNA and thereby interfere with human male fertility.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hygiene Toxicology, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xue
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Niya
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Zhihong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Mingfu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Lianbing
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Yafei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ao
authors.forename: Jinyi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D002681:China; D020552:Comet Assay; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000187:drug effects*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000633:toxicity* / Q000652:urine*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons