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. 2013;66(1):84-92.
doi: 10.5173/ceju.2013.01.art28. Epub 2013 Apr 26.

Correlation between seminal lead and cadmium and seminal parameters in idiopathic oligoasthenozoospermic males

Emad A Taha  1 , Sohair K Sayed  2 , Nagwa M Ghandour  3 , Ali M Mahran  1 , Medhat A Saleh  4 , Magdy M Amin  5 , Rany Shamloul  6
Affiliations

Correlation between seminal lead and cadmium and seminal parameters in idiopathic oligoasthenozoospermic males

Emad A Taha et al. Cent European J Urol. 2013.

Abstract

Introduction: The exact causes of the decline in semen quality are not yet known, environmental factors have been considered to play an important role. Lead (Pb) and Cadmium (Cd) are two of the well-known reproductive toxicants to which humans are exposed occupationally and environmentally and can lead to negative effects on the testicular functions. The aim of this study was to evaluate lead and cadmium levels in seminal plasma of men with idiopathic oligoasthenozoospermia in comparison to fertile healthy controls and to correlate these levels with conventional semen parameters, sperm hypo-osmotic swelling (HOS) percentage, sperm DNA fragmentation percentage, and semen reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels.

Material and methods: Thirty infertile male patients with idiopathic oligo and/or asthenozoospermia and thirty healthy fertile men, which was the control group, were included in the study. Lead and cadmium levels in seminal plasma, semen parameters, sperm HOS, sperm DNA fragmentation percentage and semen ROS assay were measured in all subjects.

Results: There was a significant increase in seminal lead and cadmium levels among infertile males in comparison to controls. There were significant negative correlations between seminal lead and cadmium levels on one hand and certain semen parameters especially progressive sperm motility and vitality (HOS). Importantly, significant positive correlations were noted between seminal lead and cadmium levels on one hand and sperm DNA fragmentation percentage and semen ROS level in infertile men and controls on the other hand.

Conclusions: Thus, men with idiopathic male infertility had higher levels of lead and cadmium in their semen which correlated with impairment of sperm motility and vitality percentages and more importantly with higher sperm DNA fragmentation% and semen ROS level.

Keywords: azoospermia; cadmium; lead.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Shows flow cytometer scatter plot (left) and histogram (right) in a control subject. Sperm DNA fragmentation% in this control subject was 5.3%.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Shows flow cytometer scatter plot (left) and histogram (right) in an infertile subject. Sperm DNA fragmentation% in this infertile man was 16%.
Figure 3a
Figure 3a
Correlation between semen lead level and sperm DNA fragmentation in infertile men.
Figure 3b
Figure 3b
Correlation between semen lead level and sperm DNA fragmentation in fertile men (controls).
Figure 4a
Figure 4a
Correlation between semen lead level and ROS levels in infertile men.
Figure 4b
Figure 4b
Correlation between semen lead level and ROS levels in fertile men (controls)
Figure 5a
Figure 5a
Correlation between semen cadmium level and sperm DNA fragmentation in infertile men.
Figure 5b
Figure 5b
Correlation between semen cadmium level and sperm DNA fragmentation% in fertile men (controls).
Figure 6a
Figure 6a
Correlation between semen cadmium level and ROS levels in infertile men.
Figure 6b
Figure 6b
Correlation between semen cadmium level and ROS levels in fertile men (controls).
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