title: Role of low exposure to metals as male reproductive toxicants.
abstract: The objective of the study was to examine the associations between environmentally relevant low metal concentrations and semen quality parameters in men. The concentrations of zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), selenium (Se), and lead (Pb) in the seminal plasma and urine were measured from 196 male human subjects in Taiwan. Urinary Cd concentrations were negatively associated with sperm viability (p = 0.006). Seminal plasma Cu concentrations of the normal group (≥ 15 × 10(6)/ml) were significantly lower than those of the abnormal group (p = 0.023). However, the linear regression analysis showed a weak association between Cu concentration and sperm concentration, along with other semen parameters. No significant relationship between other metals (As, Pb, Zn, and Se) and semen quality was observed.
authors.affiliation: a School of Community and Environmental Health , Old Dominion University , Norfolk , VA , USA.
authors.forename: Hueiwang Anna
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Jeng
authors.forename: Yeou-Lih
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Chih-Hong
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Norou
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Diawara
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001151:Arsenic / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity / Q000652:urine; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity* / Q000652:urine; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008670:Metals / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity* / Q000652:urine; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity / Q000652:urine; D008875:Middle Aged; D012643:Selenium / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity / Q000652:urine; D012661:Semen / Q000187:drug effects*; D055101:Semen Analysis; D013076:Sperm Count; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects*; D013624:Taiwan; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D008670:Metals; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D012643:Selenium; D001151:Arsenic
keywords: metals; morphology; motility; sperm concentration; viability