Lead Inhibits Human Sperm Functions by Reducing the Levels of Intracellular Calcium, cAMP, and Tyrosine Phosphorylation.
TLDR
The findings suggest that lead inhibits human sperm functions by reducing the levels of sperm intracellular cAMP, [Ca(2+)]i and tyrosine phosphorylation of sperm proteins in vitro.Abstract:
It is well known that there has been a worldwide decrease in human male fertility in recent years. One of the main factors affecting this is environmental pollution. Lead is one of the major heavy metal contaminants that threaten the health of animals and human beings in China. It preferentially accumulates in male reproductive organs and can be up to 10 µM in human seminal plasma. Lead impairs mammalian spermatogenesis and sperm quality in vivo. It also inhibits sperm functions in vitro but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the in vitro toxicity of lead on human sperm functions and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Semen samples were collected from 20 healthy volunteers with different careers and backgrounds living in Nanchang, Jiangxi. Human sperm suspensions were treated with different concentrations of lead acetate (0, 0.5, 2.5, 10, 50, and 100 µM) and the viability, motility, capacitation and progesterone-induced acrosome reaction were examined. Treatment with 10-100 µM lead acetate dose-dependently inhibited total and progressive motility measures, capacitation and progesterone-induced acrosome reaction. It also dose-dependently decreased the intracellular concentrations of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and calcium ([Ca(2+)]i), and reduced the tyrosine phosphorylation of sperm proteins, all of which are thought to be key factors in the regulation of sperm function. Our findings suggest that lead inhibits human sperm functions by reducing the levels of sperm intracellular cAMP, [Ca(2+)]i and tyrosine phosphorylation of sperm proteins in vitro.read more
Citations
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Impaired hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis activity, spermatogenesis, and sperm function promote infertility in males with lead poisoning.
Jason Gandhi,Rafael J. Hernandez,Andrew Chen,Noel L. Smith,Yefim Sheynkin,Gargi Joshi,Sardar Ali Khan +6 more
TL;DR: Lead poisoning is a stealthy threat to human physiological systems as chronic exposure can remain asymptomatic for long periods of time before symptoms manifest, and appears to directly impair the process of spermatogenesis itself as well as sperm function.
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Seminal bacterial composition in patients with obstructive and non-obstructive azoospermia.
TL;DR: The seminal microbiome of patients with obstructive or non-obstructive azoospermia was explored and it was revealed that Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria species comprised the majority of bacteria in the C, OA and NOA groups.
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Impact of Coenzyme Q10 Administration on Lead Acetate-Induced Testicular Damage in Rats
Manal F. El-Khadragy,Manal F. El-Khadragy,Wafa A. AL-Megrin,Norah A. AlSadhan,Dina M. Metwally,Dina M. Metwally,Rehab E. El-Hennamy,Fatma Elzahraa H. Salem,Fatma Elzahraa H. Salem,Rami B. Kassab,Rami B. Kassab,Ahmed E. Abdel Moneim +11 more
TL;DR: It is suggested that CoQ10 can act as a natural therapeutic agent to protect against the reproductive impairments associated with lead acetate exposure and improve testicular function by inhibiting Pb accumulation, oxidative stress, inflammation, cell death, and histopathological changes following PbAc exposure.
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Carob (Ceratonia siliqua L.) fruit hydro-alcoholic extract alleviates reproductive toxicity of lead in male mice: Evidence on sperm parameters, sex hormones, oxidative stress biomarkers and expression of Nrf2 and iNOS.
TL;DR: It is revealed that co-administration of CFHAE with Pb significantly improved sperm parameters, elevated sex hormones, TAC, GSH content, and antioxidant enzymes activity of serum, decreased serum MDA levels, and down-regulated testicular expression of Nrf2 and iNOS genes compared with P b group.
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Antioxidant Effect of a Polyphenol-Rich Murtilla (Ugni molinae Turcz.) Extract and Its Effect on the Regulation of Metabolism in Refrigerated Boar Sperm.
Ignacio Jofré,Magdalena E. Cuevas,Letícia Signori de Castro,João Diego de Agostini Losano,Mariana Andrade Torres,Marysol Alvear,Erick Scheuermann,André Furugen Cesar de Andrade,Marcilio Nichi,Mayra Elena Ortiz D'Ávila Assumpção,Fernando Romero +10 more
TL;DR: The long-term analyses showed that MT-Ex improved sperm motility decay and reduced membrane damage and ROS at 168 h and was proposed as a supplement in semen extenders.
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