Abstract
Unexplained infertility requires that more sensitive and mechanism-based biomarkers should be developed and used independently of or in addition to conventional semen parameters for an infertility diagnosis. In the present study, semen samples were collected from young men participating in the Male Reproductive Health in Chongqing College students (MARCHS) cohort study in the follow-up stage in 2014. Conventional semen parameters were measured in all 656 participants, whereas sperm mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn), mtDNA integrity and apoptotic parameters were measured among 627, 386, 362, and 628 participants, respectively. We found that sperm MMP was significantly positively correlated with all of conventional semen parameters including semen volume (r = 0.090, p = 0.025), sperm concentration (r = 0.301, p<0.01), total sperm count (r = 0.324, p<0.01), and progressive motility (r = 0.399, p<0.01); sperm MMP was also negatively correlated with Annexin V+ sperm (r = -0.553, p<0.01); mtDNAcn was significantly negatively correlated with sperm concentration (r = -0.214, p<0.01), total sperm count (r = -0.232, p<0.01), and progressive motility (r = -0.164, p = 0.01); mtDNA integrity was also significantly positively correlated with sperm concentration (r = 0.195, p<0.01), total sperm count (r = 0.185, p<0.01), and progressive motility (r = 0.106, p = 0.043). After adjusting for potential confounders, these relationships remained significant. Furthermore, we explored the potential effects of lifestyles on such mitochondrial biomarkers and found that the current drinkers displayed a higher level of sperm MMP; additionally, mt DNAcn was increased with age. The results indicated that certain mitochondrial biomarkers could serve as predictors of semen quality in a general population, and the study provides a baseline for the effects of population characteristics and lifestyles on such mitochondrial markers.
Highlights
10–15% of couples of reproductive age are infertile [1,2,3]
Our previous studies revealed that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) or phthalate esters (PAEs) exposure at the environmental level was not associated with conventional semen parameters or morphology [10,11]
The objective of the present study was to investigate potential associations between mitochondrial biomarkers (MMP, mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn), and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) integrity) and those classic indicators of semen quality including conventional semen parameters and apoptotic parameters, and to observe whether these mitochondrial biomarkers can be regarded as predictors of semen quality in the general study population
Summary
10–15% of couples of reproductive age are infertile [1,2,3]. Male factors in particular account for 50% of these cases [4]. Accumulating evidence has linked exposure to environmental pollutants and undesirable lifestyles to male reproductive health [6,7,8,9]. Our previous studies revealed that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) or phthalate esters (PAEs) exposure at the environmental level was not associated with conventional semen parameters or morphology [10,11]. In this context, more sensitive and mechanism-based biomarkers should be developed and used independently of or in addition to conventional semen parameters for the infertility diagnosis or in the risk-assessment process
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