title: High Serum Estradiol and Heavy Metals Responsible for Human Spermiation Defect-A Pilot Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Spermiation is a process of releasing sperm into the lumen of seminiferous tubules. Failure in releasing sperm into the lumen is designated as spermiation defect. Spermiation defect cases present as oligo-azoospermia or azoospermia despite normal gonadotropins and testicular histology/cytology. Human spermiation defect never got attention to investigate infertility practice. Most of the information on spermiation defect, so far is from animal experiments. We assume some cases of non-obstructive azoospermia with normal gonadotropins and testicular histology/cytology could be due to spermiation defect.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to find out the underlying aetiology in cases of human spermiation defect.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 13 cases of spermiation defect and 20 fertile men as control constituted study material. Cases were studied for chromosomal abnormalities by conventional karyotyping, sex chromosome mosaicism by interphase XY FISH, Yq microdeletion by STS PCR, sertoli cell quality (function) and quantity (numbers) by serum Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) and inhibin B besides other hormones like Follicular Stimulating Hormone (FSH), prolactin, testosterone and estradiol. Vitamin A concentration in serum was also measured. Presence of heavy metal was investigated by elemental electron microscopy in seminal cells (eight cases) & by spectrometry in serum as well as seminal plasma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Chromosomal and Yq microdeletion study failed to detect any abnormalities. AMH, inhibin B and vitamin A were also normal. Estradiol level was high in 6 out of 13 cases (46%) while platinum in seminal cells was high in 4 cases (50%). High (four times or more) serum level of lead and nickel was observed in 11 (85%) and 6 (46%) cases, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High serum concentration of heavy metals like lead & nickel or high platinum accumulation in seminal cells or high serum estradiol alone or in combinations may be underlying aetiologic factors in human spermiation defect.
authors.affiliation: Scientist, Department of Reproductive Biology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences , New Delhi, India .
authors.forename: Manish
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.affiliation: PhD Student, Department of Reproductive Biology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences , New Delhi, India .
authors.forename: Amanpreet Kaur
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Kalsi
authors.affiliation: Scientist, Department of Pharmacology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences , New Delhi, India .
authors.forename: Amita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Srivastava
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Pharmacology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences , New Delhi, India .
authors.forename: Yogendra Kumar
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Reproductive Biology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences , New Delhi, India .
authors.forename: Ashutosh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Halder
keywords: Lead; Nickel; Oestrogen; Platinum; Sperm release