title: Exposure to Endocrine Disruptors and Nuclear Receptors Gene Expression in Infertile and Fertile Men from Italian Areas with Different Environmental Features.
abstract: Internal levels of selected endocrine disruptors (EDs) (i.e., perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), di-2-ethylhexyl-phthalate (DEHP), mono-(2-ethylhexyl)-phthalate (MEHP), and bisphenol A (BPA)) were analyzed in blood/serum of infertile and fertile men from metropolitan, urban and rural Italian areas. PFOS and PFOA levels were also evaluated in seminal plasma. In peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of same subjects, gene expression levels of a panel of nuclear receptors (NRs), namely estrogen receptor α (ERα) estrogen receptor β (ERβ), androgen receptor (AR), aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) and pregnane X receptor (PXR) were also assessed. Infertile men from the metropolitan area had significantly higher levels of BPA and gene expression of all NRs, except PPARγ, compared to subjects from other areas. Subjects from urban areas had significantly higher levels of MEHP, whereas subjects from rural area had higher levels of PFOA in both blood and seminal plasma. Interestingly, ERα, ERβ, AR, PXR and AhR expression is directly correlated with BPA and inversely correlated with PFOA serum levels. Our study indicates the relevance of the living environment when investigating the exposure to specific EDs. Moreover, the NRs panel in PBMCs demonstrated to be a potential biomarker of effect to assess the EDs impact on reproductive health.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Safety and Veterinary Public Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Roma 00161, Italy. cinzia.larocca@iss.it.
authors.forename: Cinzia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: La Rocca
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Safety and Veterinary Public Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Roma 00161, Italy. sabrina.tait@iss.it.
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tait
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Siena, Siena 53100, Italy. cristiana.guerranti@bsrc.it.|Bioscience Research Center, Orbetello (GR) 58015, Italy. cristiana.guerranti@bsrc.it.
authors.forename: Cristiana
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Guerranti
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Safety and Veterinary Public Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Roma 00161, Italy. luca.busani@iss.it.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Busani
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetric and Gynecological Sciences and Urological Sciences, University of Roma Sapienza, S. Andrea Hospital, Roma 00189, Italy. ciardofrancesca@libero.it.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ciardo
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Safety and Veterinary Public Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Roma 00161, Italy. brn_001@hotmail.it.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bergamasco
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Siena, Siena 53100, Italy. guido.perra.71@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Perra
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Safety and Veterinary Public Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Roma 00161, Italy. francesca.r.mancini@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Francesca Romana
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Mancini
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences and Advanced Therapies, Section of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara 44124, Italy. roberto.marci@unife.it.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Marci
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetric and Gynecological Sciences and Urological Sciences, University of Roma Sapienza, S. Andrea Hospital, Roma 00189, Italy. bordi.giulia@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bordi
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetric and Gynecological Sciences and Urological Sciences, University of Roma Sapienza, S. Andrea Hospital, Roma 00189, Italy. donatella.caserta@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Donatella
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Caserta
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Siena, Siena 53100, Italy. focardi@unisi.it.
authors.forename: Silvano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Focardi
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetric and Gynecological Sciences and Urological Sciences, University of Roma Sapienza, S. Andrea Hospital, Roma 00189, Italy. massimo.moscarini@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moscarini
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Safety and Veterinary Public Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Roma 00161, Italy. alberto.mantovani@iss.it.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mantovani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017738:Alkanesulfonic Acids / Q000097:blood; D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D002210:Caprylates / Q000097:blood; D004051:Diethylhexyl Phthalate / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors / Q000097:blood*; D004777:Environment; D005298:Fertility; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000097:blood; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D010636:Phenols / Q000097:blood; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear / Q000235:genetics*; D012661:Semen / Q000737:chemistry; D000098826:Bisphenol A Compounds
chemical_list: D017738:Alkanesulfonic Acids; D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds; D015415:Biomarkers; D002210:Caprylates; D004051:Diethylhexyl Phthalate; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors; D005466:Fluorocarbons; D010636:Phenols; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; C023036:perfluorooctanoic acid; C076994:perfluorooctane sulfonic acid; C016599:mono-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate; C006780:bisphenol A; D000098826:Bisphenol A Compounds
keywords: BPA; DEHP; MEHP; PFOA; PFOS; biomarkers; human exposure; men infertility