Abstract
BackgroundRecent observations in in vitro and in vivo models suggest that arsenic (As) is an endocrine disruptor at environmentally-relevant levels. When exposed to As, male rats and mice show steroidogenic dysfunction that can lead to infertility. However, the possible effects of As on human male semen quality remain obscure.MethodsWe monitored the profile of As species in the urine of a reproductive-age human cohort and assessed its association with semen quality. Men (n = 96) were recruited in an infertility clinic from July 2009 to August 2010 in the Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Institute for Population and Family Planning. Five urinary As species were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HPLC-ICP-MS). Clinical information on the semen volume, sperm concentration and motility was employed to catalogue and evaluate semen quality according to WHO guidelines. As species concentrations in addition to other continuous variables were dichotomized by the medians and modelled as categorical variables in order to explore using the binary logistic regression possible associations between As exposure and semen quality.ResultsUrinary concentrations (geometric mean ± SD, μg g-1 creatinine) of different As species were 7.49 (±24.8) for AsB, 20.9 (±13.7) for DMA, 2.77 (±3.33) for MMA, and 4.03 (±3.67) for Asi (AsiIII and AsiV). DMA concentrations above the median were significantly associated with below-reference sperm concentrations (P =0.02) after adjusting for age, body mass index (BMI), abstinence, smoking and drinking habits. In addition, smoking was positively associated with MMA.ConclusionReduced parameters in human semen quality are positively associated with As exposure in a reproductive-age Chinese cohort.
Highlights
Recent observations in in vitro and in vivo models suggest that arsenic (As) is an endocrine disruptor at environmentally-relevant levels
Participant recruitment and urine sample collection The study was performed according to the Declaration of Helsinki, and the procedures were approved by the local ethics committee
As is a well-known carcinogen that has been recognized as an endocrine disrupter at environmental levels
Summary
Recent observations in in vitro and in vivo models suggest that arsenic (As) is an endocrine disruptor at environmentally-relevant levels. The possible effects of As on human male semen quality remain obscure. It is possible to metabolize As into different species via several pathways; one is methylation, which is the major pathway for generation of inorganic As (Asi) in the human body. TMAO (trimethylarsine oxide) [2]. This reaction often does not fully metabolize As, and intermediaries, such as Asi, MMAIII and MMAV, can remain in the body [3,4]. In geographical areas that do not have high levels of As contamination in drinking water, dietary intake is the major exposure route. Consumption of contaminated foods or their processed products are often major contributors to As exposure and subsequent human-health effects
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