Evaluation of urinary metal concentrations and sperm DNA damage in infertile men from an infertility clinic.
This study aimed to examine associations between urinary metal concentrations and sperm DNA damage. Thirteen metals [arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), mercury (Hg), nickel (Ni), selenium (Se), and zinc (Zn)] were detected in urine samples of 207 infertile men from an infertility clinic using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and also, sperm DNA damage (tail length, percent DNA tail, and tail distributed moment) were assessed using neutral comet assay. We found that urinary Hg and Ni were associated with increasing trends for tail length (both p for trend<0.05), and that urinary Mn was associated with increasing trend for tail distributed moment (p for trend=0.02). These associations did persist even when considering multiple metals. Our results suggest that environmental exposure to Hg, Mn, and Ni may be associated with increased sperm DNA damage.
School of Public Health, Changsha Medical University, Changsha, Hunan, PR China. Electronic address: nhhdl@126.com.
Yan
Y
Zhou
The 169th Hospital of People's Liberation Army, Xiangnan Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University, Hengyang, Hunan, PR China.
Xiao-Ming
XM
Fu
Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, PR China; Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China.
Dong-Liang
DL
He
School of Public Health, Changsha Medical University, Changsha, Hunan, PR China.
Xue-Min
XM
Zou
Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, PR China.
Cheng-Qiu
CQ
Wu
School of Public Health, Changsha Medical University, Changsha, Hunan, PR China.
Wei-Zhen
WZ
Guo
Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China.
Wei
W
Feng
D000328:Adult; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D001151:Arsenic / Q000652:urine*; D020552:Comet Assay; D004249:DNA Damage; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000235:genetics* / Q000652:urine*; D008297:Male; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000652:urine*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000378:metabolism*
D019216:Metals, Heavy; D001151:Arsenic
Comet assay; Male infertility; Male reproductive health; Metals; Sperm DNA damage