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Chen HG, Wu P, Zheng XF, Su QL, Lin QF, Sun B, Chen YJ, Meng TQ, Xiong CL, Pan A, Wang YX, Ye W. Association of urinary and seminal plasma vanadium concentrations with semen quality: A repeated-measures study of 1135 healthy men. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2024; 272:116075. [PMID: 38325273 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.116075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Although animal studies have shown the reproductive toxicity of vanadium, less is known about its effects on semen quality in humans. Among 1135 healthy men who were screened as potential semen donors, we investigated the relationships of semen quality with urinary and seminal plasma vanadium levels via inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Spearman rank correlation tests and linear regression models were used to assess the correlations between average urinary and within-individual pooled seminal plasma vanadium concentrations (n = 1135). We utilized linear mixed-effects models to evaluate the associations of urinary and seminal plasma vanadium levels (n = 1135) with repeated sperm quality parameters (n = 5576). Seminal plasma vanadium concentrations were not significantly correlated with urinary vanadium concentrations (r = 0.03). After adjusting for possible confounders, we observed inverse relationships of within-individual pooled seminal plasma vanadium levels with total count, semen volume, and sperm concentration (all P values for trend < 0.05). Specifically, subjects in the highest (vs. lowest) tertile of seminal plasma vanadium concentrations had - 11.3% (-16.4%, -5.9%), - 11.1% (-19.1%, -2.4%), and - 20.9% (-29.0%, -11.8%) lower sperm volume, concentration, and total count, respectively; moreover, urinary vanadium levels appeared to be negatively associated with sperm motility. These relationships showed monotonically decreasing dose-response patterns in the restricted cubic spline analyses. Our results demonstrated a poor correlation between urinary and seminal plasma levels of vanadium, and elevated vanadium concentrations in urine and seminal plasma may be adversely related to male semen quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heng-Gui Chen
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, Fujian Province, China.
| | - Ping Wu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Xiao-Feng Zheng
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China
| | - Qing-Ling Su
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China
| | - Qiao-Fen Lin
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China
| | - Bin Sun
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Ying-Jun Chen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Tian-Qing Meng
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China; Hubei Province Human Sperm Bank, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Cheng-Liang Xiong
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China; Hubei Province Human Sperm Bank, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - An Pan
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Yi-Xin Wang
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Weimin Ye
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China; Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 17177, Sweden.
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Liu N, Chen HG, Li Y, Zhang G, Zhang J, Qu G, He B, Meng TQ, Xiong CL, Pan A, Yin Y, Liang Y, Shi J, Wang YX, Hu L, Jiang G. Exogenous Metals Atlas in Spermatozoa at Single-Cell Resolution in Relation to Human Semen Quality. Environ Sci Technol 2023; 57:7358-7369. [PMID: 37144275 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c08838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
While exogenous metal/metalloid (metal) exposure has been associated with reduced human semen quality, no study has assessed the associations of exogenous metals in human spermatozoa with semen quality. Here, we developed a strategy to explore the associations between exogenous metals in spermatozoa at single-cell resolution and human semen quality among 84 men screened as sperm donors, who provided 266 semen samples within 90 days. A cellular atlas of exogenous metals at the single-cell level was created with mass cytometry (CyTOF) technology, which concurrently displayed 18 metals in more than 50 000 single sperm. Exogenous metals in spermatozoa at single-cell resolution were extremely heterogeneous and diverse. Further analysis using multivariable linear regression and linear mixed-effects models revealed that the heterogeneity and prevalence of the exogenous metals at single-cell resolution were associated with semen quality. The heterogeneity of lead (Pb), tin (Sn), yttrium (Y), and zirconium (Zr) was negatively associated with sperm concentration and count, while their prevalence showed positive associations. These findings revealed that the heterogeneous properties of exogenous metals in spermatozoa were associated with human semen quality, highlighting the importance of assessing exogenous metals in spermatozoa at single-cell resolution to evaluate male reproductive health risk precisely.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nian Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
- School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310042, China
| | - Heng-Gui Chen
- Clinical Research and Translation Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350005, China
| | - Yu Li
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Guohuan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Guangbo Qu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
- School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310042, China
| | - Bin He
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
- School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310042, China
| | - Tian-Qing Meng
- Center of Reproductive Medicine, Wuhan Tongji Reproductive Medicine Hospital, Wuhan 430030, China
- Hubei Province Human Sperm Bank, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Cheng-Liang Xiong
- Center of Reproductive Medicine, Wuhan Tongji Reproductive Medicine Hospital, Wuhan 430030, China
- Hubei Province Human Sperm Bank, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - An Pan
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Yongguang Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
- School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310042, China
| | - Yong Liang
- Institute of Environment and Health, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China
| | - Jianbo Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
- School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310042, China
| | - Yi-Xin Wang
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Ligang Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
- School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310042, China
- Institute of Environment and Health, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China
| | - Guibin Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
- School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310042, China
- Institute of Environment and Health, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China
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Yang P, Deng LJ, Xie JY, Li XJ, Wang XN, Sun B, Meng TQ, Xiong CL, Huang YC, Wang YX, Pan A, Chen D, Yang Y. Phthalate exposure with sperm quality among healthy Chinese male adults: The role of sperm cellular function. Environ Pollut 2023; 331:121755. [PMID: 37142207 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Adverse male reproduction caused by phthalate ester (PAE) exposure has been well documented in vivo. However, existing evidence from population studies remains inadequate to demonstrate the impact of PAE exposure on spermatogenesis and underlying mechanisms. Our present study aimed to explore the potential link between PAE exposure and sperm quality and the possible mediation by sperm mitochondrial and telomere in healthy male adults recruited from the Hubei Province Human Sperm Bank, China. Nine PAEs were determined in one pooled urine sample prepared from multiple collections during the spermatogenesis period from the same participant. Sperm telomere length (TL) and mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) were determined in sperm samples. The sperm concentration and count per quartile increment in mixture concentrations were -4.10 million/mL (-7.12, -1.08) and -13.52% (-21.62%, -4.59%), respectively. We found one quartile increase in PAE mixture concentrations to be marginally associated with sperm mtDNAcn (β = 0.09, 95% CI: -0.01, 0.19). Mediation analysis showed that sperm mtDNAcn significantly explained 24.6% and 32.5% of the relationships of mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (MEHP) with sperm concentration and sperm count (β = -0.44 million/mL, 95% CI: -0.82, -0.08; β = -1.35, 95% CI: -2.54, -0.26, respectively). Our study provided a novel insight into the mixed effect of PAEs on adverse semen quality and the potential mediation role of sperm mtDNAcn.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pan Yang
- Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, Guangdong Province, PR China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, Guangdong Province, PR China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Hefei, 230032, PR China
| | - Lang-Jing Deng
- Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, Guangdong Province, PR China
| | - Jin-Ying Xie
- Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, Guangdong Province, PR China
| | - Xiao-Jie Li
- Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, Guangdong Province, PR China
| | - Xiao-Na Wang
- Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, Guangdong Province, PR China
| | - Bin Sun
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei Province, PR China
| | - Tian-Qing Meng
- Hubei Province Human Sperm Bank, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei Province, PR China
| | - Cheng-Liang Xiong
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei Province, PR China
| | - Yi-Chao Huang
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, PR China
| | - Yi-Xin Wang
- Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - An Pan
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei Province, PR China
| | - Da Chen
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, Guangdong Province, PR China
| | - Yan Yang
- School of Chemical Engineering and Light Industry, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, PR China; Jieyang Branch of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Jieyang, 515200, Guangdong, PR China; Synergy Innovation Institute of GDUT, Shantou, 515041, PR China.
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Chen HG, Sun B, Lin F, Chen YJ, Xiong CL, Meng TQ, Duan P, Messerlian C, Hu Z, Pan A, Ye W, Wang YX. Sperm mitochondrial DNA copy number mediates the association between seminal plasma selenium concentrations and semen quality among healthy men. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2023; 251:114532. [PMID: 36640579 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.114532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Selenium (Se) is essential for successful male reproduction. However, the association of Se status with human semen quality remains controversial and the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. We measured seminal plasma Se concentrations, sperm mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn), and sperm quality parameters among healthy Chinese men screened as potential sperm donors. Linear mixed-effects models were used to investigate the associations of within-subject pooled seminal plasma Se concentrations (n = 1159) with repeated sperm quality parameters (n = 5617); mediation analyses were applied to evaluate the mediating role of sperm mtDNAcn (n = 989). Seminal plasma Se concentrations were positively associated with sperm concentration and total count (both P for trend < 0.001). In adjusted models, men in the top vs. bottom quartiles of seminal plasma Se concentrations had 70.1 % (95 % CI: 53.3 %, 88.9 %) and 59.1 % (95 % CI: 40.5 %, 80.2 %) higher sperm concentration and total count, respectively. Meanwhile, we observed inverse associations between seminal plasma Se concentrations and sperm mtDNAcn, and between sperm mtDNAcn and sperm motility, concentration, and total count (all P for trend < 0.05). Mediation analyses suggested that sperm mtDNAcn mediated 19.7 % (95 % CI: 15.9 %, 25.3 %) and 23.1 % (95 % CI: 17.4 %, 33.4 %) of the associations between seminal plasma Se concentrations and sperm concentration and total count, respectively. Our findings suggest that Se is essential for male spermatogenesis, potentially by affecting sperm mtDNAcn.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heng-Gui Chen
- Clinical Research and Translation Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350005, Fujian Province, China; Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China
| | - Bin Sun
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Fuxin Lin
- Clinical Research and Translation Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350005, Fujian Province, China
| | - Ying-Jun Chen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Cheng-Liang Xiong
- Center of Reproductive Medicine, Wuhan Tongji Reproductive Medicine Hospital, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China; Hubei Province Human Sperm Bank, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Tian-Qing Meng
- Center of Reproductive Medicine, Wuhan Tongji Reproductive Medicine Hospital, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China; Hubei Province Human Sperm Bank, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Peng Duan
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Xiangyang No. 1 People's Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Xiangyang, Hubei Province, China
| | - Carmen Messerlian
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Zhijian Hu
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China
| | - An Pan
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Weimin Ye
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China.
| | - Yi-Xin Wang
- Department of Nutrition and Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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Liu C, Chen YJ, Sun B, Chen HG, Mustieles V, Messerlian C, Sun Y, Meng TQ, Lu WQ, Pan XF, Xiong CL, Hou J, Wang YX. Blood trihalomethane concentrations in relation to sperm mitochondrial DNA copy number and telomere length among 958 healthy men. Environ Res 2023; 216:114737. [PMID: 36372149 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In animal and human studies, exposure to trihalomethanes (THMs) has been associated with reduced semen quality. However, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. OBJECTIVE To investigate the associations of blood THM concentrations with sperm mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) and telomere length (TL) among healthy men. METHODS We recruited 958 men who volunteered as potential sperm donors. A single blood sample was collected from each participant at recruitment and measured for chloroform (TCM), bromodichloromethane (BDCM), dibromochloromethane (DBCM), and bromoform (TBM) concentrations. Within a 90-day follow-up, the last semen sample provided by each participant was quantified for sperm mtDNAcn and TL. We used multivariable linear regression models to assess the associations between blood THM concentrations and sperm mtDNAcn and TL. We also performed stratified analyses according to the time intervals between baseline blood THM determinations and semen collection (i.e., 0-9, 10-14, 15-69, or >69 days) to explore potential windows of susceptibility. RESULTS After adjusting for potential confounders, we found inverse associations between quartiles (or categories) of blood TBM, brominated THM (Br-THM, the sum of BDCM, DBCM, and TBM), and total THM (TTHM, the sum of all four THMs) concentrations and sperm mtDNAcn (all P for trend≤0.03). Besides, we found inverse associations between quartiles of blood TCM, Br-THM, chlorinated THM (Cl-THM, the sum of TCM, BDCM, and DBCM), and TTHM concentrations and sperm TL (all P for trend<0.10). Stratified analyses showed stronger associations between Br-THM concentrations and sperm mtDNAcn determined 15-69 days since baseline exposure determinations, and between blood TCM and TTHM concentrations and sperm TL determined >69 days since baseline exposure determinations. CONCLUSION Exposure to THMs may be associated with sperm mitochondrial and telomeric dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, And State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China; Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China
| | - Ying-Jun Chen
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Bin Sun
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, And State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China
| | - Heng-Gui Chen
- Clinical Research and Translation Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, PR China
| | - Vicente Mustieles
- University of Granada, Center for Biomedical Research (CIBM); Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology & Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Carmen Messerlian
- Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yang Sun
- Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tian-Qing Meng
- Hubei Province Human Sperm Bank, Center of Reproductive Medicine, Wuhan Tongji Reproductive Medicine Hospital, Wuhan, PR China
| | - Wen-Qing Lu
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, And State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China; Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China
| | - Xiong-Fei Pan
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, PR China
| | - Chen-Liang Xiong
- Hubei Province Human Sperm Bank, Center of Reproductive Medicine, Wuhan Tongji Reproductive Medicine Hospital, Wuhan, PR China.
| | - Jian Hou
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, PR China.
| | - Yi-Xin Wang
- Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
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Chen HG, Wu P, Sun B, Chen JX, Xiong CL, Meng TQ, Huang XY, Su QL, Zhou H, Wang YX, Ye W, Pan A. Association between electronic device usage and sperm quality parameters in healthy men screened as potential sperm donors. Environ Pollut 2022; 312:120089. [PMID: 36058315 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Revised: 07/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Cell phone use and radio-frequency electromagnetic radiation (RF-EMF) are rapidly increasing and may be associated with lower semen quality, yet results from epidemiological studies are inconclusive. Information on electronic devices use was collected through standard questionnaires from 1454 men aged 22-45 years old. Semen volume, sperm concentration, total sperm count, total motility, progressive motility, and normal morphology in repeated specimens were determined by trained clinical technicians. Percent changes [95% confidence intervals (CIs)] were estimated as (10β-1) × 100 for electronic devices use associated with repeated sperm quality parameters in the linear mixed-effect models. After adjusting for multiple confounders, we found significant inverse associations of total duration of electronic devices use with sperm progressive motility and total motility, duration of cell phone and computer use with sperm concentration, progressive motility, and total motility (all P < 0.05). No significant association was found between cell phone/computer use alone and sperm quality parameters. Moreover, per hour increase of time spent on cell phone talking was associated with decreased sperm concentration and total count by an average of -8.0% (95% CI: -15.2%, -0.2%) and -12.7% (95% CI: -21.3%, -3.1%), respectively. Besides, daily calling time was associated with lower sperm progressive motility and total motility among those who used headsets during a call (P for interaction <0.05). In conclusion, our study suggested that more time spent on electronic devices use had a modest reduction effect on semen quality. Daily calling time was significantly associated with lower sperm concentration and total count, and using headsets during a call appeared to aggravate the negative association between daily calling time and sperm motility. Additional studies are needed to confirm these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heng-Gui Chen
- Clinical Research and Translation Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China; Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China
| | - Ping Wu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Bin Sun
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Jun-Xiang Chen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Cheng-Liang Xiong
- Center of Reproductive Medicine, Wuhan Tongji Reproductive Medicine Hospital, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China; Hubei Province Human Sperm Bank, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Tian-Qing Meng
- Center of Reproductive Medicine, Wuhan Tongji Reproductive Medicine Hospital, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China; Hubei Province Human Sperm Bank, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Xiao-Yin Huang
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China
| | - Qing-Ling Su
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China
| | - Huiliang Zhou
- Department of Andrology & Sexual Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China
| | - Yi-Xin Wang
- Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Weimin Ye
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China
| | - An Pan
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
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7
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Yang P, Wang J, Hong AB, Huang LL, Xie QT, Wang YX, Xiong CL, Meng TQ, Pan A, Chen D. Exposure profiles and predictors of a cocktail of environmental chemicals in Chinese men of reproductive age. Chemosphere 2022; 299:134337. [PMID: 35304217 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.134337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Personal care products, such as additives, have raised widespread concerns about the potential threat to male reproductive health. The spermatogenesis in humans lasts for approximately 90 days, the average levels of these chemicals remain unclear during spermatogenesis. In our study, we pooled urine samples from each man during the days of 1-15, 16-31, 32-63, and ≥64, and examined exposure to 48 typical additive chemicals. By principal component analysis (PCA), k-means clustering, and Spearman's rank correlations, we then identified 6 PC scores and 4 clusters based on profiles of these chemicals. Some industrial, commercial or structural similar chemicals (e.g., phthalates) were significantly correlated compared to unrelated chemicals (e.g., benzophenone). PCA scores were associated with individual lifestyles (e.g., household income, tea consumption, and drinking tap water). Distinct exposure components and exposure patterns of personal care products may help the reproductive health assessment of men. We suggested more concerns for widespread exposure to these chemicals for men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pan Yang
- Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, Guangdong Province, PR China; School of Environment and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, Guangdong Province, PR China
| | - Jie Wang
- School of Environment and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, Guangdong Province, PR China
| | - Ao-Bo Hong
- School of Environment and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, Guangdong Province, PR China
| | - Li-Li Huang
- School of Environment and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, Guangdong Province, PR China
| | - Qi-Tong Xie
- School of Environment and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, Guangdong Province, PR China
| | - Yi-Xin Wang
- Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Cheng-Liang Xiong
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei Province, PR China; Hubei Province Human Sperm Bank, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei Province, PR China
| | - Tian-Qing Meng
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei Province, PR China; Hubei Province Human Sperm Bank, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei Province, PR China
| | - An Pan
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei Province, PR China
| | - Da Chen
- School of Environment and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, Guangdong Province, PR China.
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Sun B, Chen HG, Duan P, Tu ZZ, Chen YJ, Meng TQ, Xiong CL, Wang YX, Pan A. Association of handgrip strength with semen characteristics: a study with repeated measurements among healthy Chinese men. Asian J Androl 2022; 24:594-600. [PMID: 35381698 PMCID: PMC9809492 DOI: 10.4103/aja20221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Accumulating epidemiological evidence shows that handgrip strength provides predictive potential in physical, mental, and reproductive health status. However, the associations between handgrip strength and semen characteristics have not been explored. We recruited 1382 eligible men at the Hubei Province Human Sperm Bank (Wuhan, China) who had their handgrip strength measured at recruitment and provided 6458 repeated semen specimens within a 6-month period. Semen characteristics, including semen volume, sperm motility parameters (immotility, nonprogressive motility, and progressive motility), and sperm concentration, were assessed. Mixed-effect models and restricted cubic spline functions were applied to investigate the relationship of handgrip strength with repeated measurements of semen characteristics. After adjusting for confounding factors, the mixed-effect models revealed that handgrip strength was positively associated with semen volume, sperm concentration, progressive motility, total motility, and total count (all P for trend < 0.05). Compared to men in the lowest quartile, those in the highest quartile of handgrip strength had higher semen volume, sperm concentration, progressive motility, total motility, and total count, with measurements of 14.2% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.9%-23.2%), 19.5% (95% CI: 7.3%‒33.1%), 9.5% (95% CI: 3.4%‒15.9%), 8.8% (95% CI: 3.2%‒14.6%), and 36.4% (95% CI: 18.9%‒56.5%), respectively. These positive dose-response relationships were further confirmed in restricted cubic splines, where handgrip strength was modeled as a continuous variable. Handgrip strength, as an indicator of muscular function and strength, was positively associated with semen characteristics in a dose-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Sun
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430000, China
| | - Heng-Gui Chen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430000, China
| | - Peng Duan
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Xiangyang No.1 People’s Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Xiangyang 441100, China
| | - Zhou-Zheng Tu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430000, China
| | - Ying-Jun Chen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430000, China
| | - Tian-Qing Meng
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430000, China,Hubei Province Human Sperm Bank, Wuhan 430000, China
| | - Cheng-Liang Xiong
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430000, China,Hubei Province Human Sperm Bank, Wuhan 430000, China
| | - Yi-Xin Wang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430000, China,Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA,
Correspondence: Dr. YX Wang () or Dr. A Pan ()
| | - An Pan
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430000, China,
Correspondence: Dr. YX Wang () or Dr. A Pan ()
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Ye YX, Chen HG, Sun B, Chen YJ, Duan P, Meng TQ, Xiong CL, Wang YX, Pan A. Associations between depression, oxidative stress, and semen quality among 1,000 healthy men screened as potential sperm donors. Fertil Steril 2021; 117:86-94. [PMID: 34656302 DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2021.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To explore the association between depression and semen quality and the mediating role of oxidative stress. DESIGN Cross-sectional study with repeated measures of semen quality. SETTING Human Sperm Bank of Hubei Province, People's Republic of China. PATIENT(S) From April 2017 to July 2018, we recruited 1,000 potential sperm donors who completed the Beck Depression Inventory questionnaire and had measures of oxidative stress biomarkers. INTERVENTION(S) None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Severity of depression was evaluated by the Beck Depression Inventory scores (0-4, no depression; 5-13, mild depression; 14-20, moderate depression; and 21 or greater, severe depression). The urinary concentrations of 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine, 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal-mercapturic acid, and 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α (8-isoPGF2α) were measured to reflect oxidative stress status. Repeated semen quality parameters (n = 5,880) were examined by trained professional technicians according to the World Health Organization laboratory manual. Associations between depression, oxidative stress, and repeated measures of semen quality parameters were evaluated using linear or mixed-effects models with adjustment for potential confounders. Mediation analysis was performed to test the potential mediating role of oxidative stress. RESULT(S) A total of 391 (39.1%) men were classified as mild depression, 67 (6.7%) as moderate depression, and 19 (1.9%) as severe depression. Inverse dose-response relationships between severity of depression and semen quality parameters were found. Compared with men without depression (n = 523), those with severe depression had a 25.26% (95% confidence interval, -38.65%, -8.93%) lower semen volume, 37.04% (-55.37%, -11.20%) lower total sperm count, 13.57% (-23.17%, -2.78%) lower total motility, and 15.08% (-25.09%, -3.72%) lower progressive motility; men with moderate depression also had a 12.28% (-21.16%, -2.40%) lower semen volume and 23.56% (-36.50%, -7.97%) lower total sperm count. We found a positive dose-response relationship between severity of depression and urinary 8-isoPGF2α concentrations. However, we found no evidence that the associations between depression status and semen quality were mediated by oxidative stress markers. CONCLUSION(S) In the study of Chinese male sperm donors, men with depression had worse semen quality parameters, including semen volume, sperm concentration, total sperm count, total motility, and progressive motility. Although depression was positively associated with urinary 8-isoPGF2α concentrations, depression-semen quality associations were not mediated by oxidative stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Xiang Ye
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Heng-Gui Chen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China; Clinical Research and Translation Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, People's Republic of China
| | - Bin Sun
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Ying-Jun Chen
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Peng Duan
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Xiangyang No. 1 People's Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Xiangyang, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Tian-Qing Meng
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hubei Province Human Sperm Bank, Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Cheng-Liang Xiong
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hubei Province Human Sperm Bank, Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi-Xin Wang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - An Pan
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China.
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Chen HG, Lu Q, Tu ZZ, Chen YJ, Sun B, Hou J, Xiong CL, Wang YX, Meng TQ, Pan A. Identifying windows of susceptibility to essential elements for semen quality among 1428 healthy men screened as potential sperm donors. Environ Int 2021; 155:106586. [PMID: 33910075 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Essential elements such as iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), selenium (Se), rubidium (Rb), strontium (Sr), and molybdenum (Mo) are necessary for reproductive health. However, their associations with human semen quality remain inconclusive. OBJECTIVES To investigate the associations of urinary Fe, Co, Cu, Zn, Se, Rb, Sr, and Mo concentrations with semen quality in healthy men screened as potential sperm donors and identify critical windows of susceptibility. METHODS 1428 healthy men provided 3766 urine and 6527 semen samples, which were measured for urinary essential element concentrations and sperm quality parameters, respectively. Linear mixed models and cubic spline curves were used to evaluate associations between urinary essential elements and semen quality. Multiple informant models were used to identify potential critical windows of susceptibility. RESULTS Linear mixed models and cubic spline curves showed positive dose-response relationships between urinary Zn and sperm concentration and total count and between urinary Mo and total sperm count [all False Discovery Rate (FDR) adjusted p-value for trend < 0.05]. In the multiple-element linear mixed models, the men in the highest versus lowest quartiles of urinary Zn and Mo had a higher sperm concentration of 17.5% (95% CI: 2.8%, 34.2%; p-value for trend = 0.006) and total sperm count of 18.3% (95% CI: 1.4%, 38.0%; p-value for trend = 0.027), respectively. Urinary Zn was also positively associated with total sperm count in a dose-dependent manner (p-value for trend = 0.036), though the percentile difference in total sperm count between men in the highest and lowest quartile was not statistically significant (16.4%, 95% CI: -1.7%, 37.9%). These associations appeared to be stronger when urinary Zn and Mo were measured at 0-9 days before the date of semen examination (i.e., corresponding to epididymal storage). CONCLUSIONS Higher urinary Zn and Mo, particularly during the period of epididymal storage, were associated with greater sperm production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heng-Gui Chen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 13 Hangkong Rd, Wuhan 430030, Hubei Province, China
| | - Qi Lu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 13 Hangkong Rd, Wuhan 430030, Hubei Province, China
| | - Zhou-Zheng Tu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 13 Hangkong Rd, Wuhan 430030, Hubei Province, China
| | - Ying-Jun Chen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 13 Hangkong Rd, Wuhan 430030, Hubei Province, China
| | - Bin Sun
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 13 Hangkong Rd, Wuhan 430030, Hubei Province, China
| | - Jian Hou
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China
| | - Cheng-Liang Xiong
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China; Hubei Province Human Sperm Bank, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Yi-Xin Wang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 13 Hangkong Rd, Wuhan 430030, Hubei Province, China.
| | - Tian-Qing Meng
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China; Hubei Province Human Sperm Bank, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
| | - An Pan
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 13 Hangkong Rd, Wuhan 430030, Hubei Province, China.
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Tian Y, Sun KY, Meng TQ, Ye Z, Guo SM, Li ZM, Xiong CL, Yin Y, Li HG, Zhou LQ. Gut Microbiota May Not Be Fully Restored in Recovered COVID-19 Patients After 3-Month Recovery. Front Nutr 2021; 8:638825. [PMID: 34055851 PMCID: PMC8155354 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2021.638825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has infected over 124 million people worldwide. In addition to the development of therapeutics and vaccines, the evaluation of the sequelae in recovered patients is also important. Recent studies have indicated that COVID-19 has the ability to infect intestinal tissues and to trigger alterations of the gut microbiota. However, whether these changes in gut microbiota persist into the recovery stage remains largely unknown. Here, we recruited seven healthy Chinese men and seven recovered COVID-19 male patients with an average of 3-months after discharge and analyzed their fecal samples by 16S rRNA sequencing analysis to identify the differences in gut microbiota. Our results suggested that the gut microbiota differed in male recovered patients compared with healthy controls, in which a significant difference in Chao index, Simpson index, and β-diversity was observed. And the relative abundance of several bacterial species differed clearly between two groups, characterized by enrichment of opportunistic pathogens and insufficiency of some anti-inflammatory bacteria in producing short chain fatty acids. The above findings provide preliminary clues supporting that the imbalanced gut microbiota may not be fully restored in recovered patients, highlighting the importance of continuous monitoring of gut health in people who have recovered from COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Tian
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Kai-Yi Sun
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Tian-Qing Meng
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhen Ye
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Shi-Meng Guo
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhi-Ming Li
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Cheng-Liang Xiong
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Ying Yin
- School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Hong-Gang Li
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Li-Quan Zhou
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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Sun B, Messerlian C, Sun ZH, Duan P, Chen HG, Chen YJ, Wang P, Wang L, Meng TQ, Wang Q, Arvizu M, Chavarro JE, Wang YX, Xiong CL, Pan A. Physical activity and sedentary time in relation to semen quality in healthy men screened as potential sperm donors. Hum Reprod 2020; 34:2330-2339. [PMID: 31858122 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/dez226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Revised: 08/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION Is physical activity or sedentary time associated with semen quality parameters? SUMMARY ANSWER Among healthy men screened as potential sperm donors, higher self-reported physical activity was associated with increased progressive and total sperm motility. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Despite the claimed beneficial effect of moderate physical activity on semen quality, results from epidemiological studies have been inconclusive. Previous studies were mostly conducted among endurance athletes or male partners of couples who sought infertility treatment. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION Healthy men screened as potential sperm donors were recruited at the Hubei Province Human Sperm Bank of China. Between April 2017 and July 2018; 746 men completed the long-form International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and provided repeated semen samples (n = 5252) during an approximately 6-month period. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Total metabolic equivalents (METs), moderate-to-vigorous METs and sedentary time were abstracted from the IPAQ. Sperm concentration, total sperm count, progressive motility and total motility in repeated specimens were determined by trained clinical technicians. Mixed-effect models were applied to investigate the relationships between physical activity and sedentary time and repeated measures of semen quality parameters. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE After adjusting for multiple confounders, total METs and moderate-to-vigorous METs were both positively associated with progressive and total sperm motility. Compared with men in the lowest quartiles, those in the highest quartiles of total and moderate-to-vigorous METs had increased progressive motility of 16.1% (95% CI: 6.4, 26.8%) and 17.3% (95% CI: 7.5, 27.9%), respectively, and had increased total motility of 15.2% (95% CI: 6.2, 24.9%) and 16.4% (95% CI: 7.4, 26.1%), respectively. Sedentary time was not associated with semen quality parameters. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION The IPAQ was reported only once from study participants; measurement errors were inevitable and may have biased our results. Furthermore, although we have adjusted for various potential confounders, the possibility of unmeasured confounding cannot be fully ruled out. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Our findings suggest that maintaining regular exercise may improve semen quality parameters among healthy, non-infertile men. Specifically, we found that higher self-reported total and moderate-to-vigorous METs were associated with improved sperm motility, which reinforces the existing evidence that physical activity may improve male reproductive health. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) Y.-X.W was supported by the Initiative Postdocs Supporting Program (No. BX201700087). A.P. was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2017YFC0907504). C.-L.X. was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2016YFC1000206). The authors report no conflicts of interest. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER N/A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Sun
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China
| | - Carmen Messerlian
- Departments of Environmental Health and of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Zhong-Han Sun
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China
| | - Peng Duan
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Xiangyang No. 1 People's Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Xiangyang, PR China
| | - Heng-Gui Chen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China
| | - Ying-Jun Chen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China
| | - Peng Wang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Liang Wang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology; Hubei Province Human Sperm Bank, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China
| | - Tian-Qing Meng
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology; Hubei Province Human Sperm Bank, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China
| | - Qi Wang
- Department of Pathology, Bengbu Medical College, Hefei, Anhui, PR China
| | - Mariel Arvizu
- Departments of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jorge E Chavarro
- Departments of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yi-Xin Wang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China.,Departments of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Cheng-Liang Xiong
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology; Hubei Province Human Sperm Bank, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China
| | - An Pan
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China
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Chen HG, Sun B, Chen YJ, Chavarro JE, Hu SH, Xiong CL, Pan A, Meng TQ, Wang YX, Messerlian C. Sleep duration and quality in relation to semen quality in healthy men screened as potential sperm donors. Environ Int 2020; 135:105368. [PMID: 31830732 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2019.105368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2019] [Revised: 11/26/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Short sleep duration and poor sleep quality are increasingly prevalent in modern society and may be associated with impaired semen quality, yet studies are inconclusive. OBJECTIVES To investigate the reproducibility of semen quality parameters among 842 healthy men screened as potential sperm donors and explore the associations of sleep duration and quality with repeated measures of semen quality parameters. METHODS We assessed sleep duration (night sleep and daytime napping) and sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) among 842 healthy men screen as potential sperm donors. We examined sleep characteristics in relation to repeated measurements (n = 5601) of semen parameters using linear mixed-effects models. RESULTS High degrees of within-individual variability were found for total and progressive sperm motility with intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.20 and 0.22, respectively; while fair-to-good reproducibilities were observed for sperm volume, concentration, and total count (ICC = 0.54, 0.62, and 0.50, respectively). Compared to men with total sleep duration of 8.0-8.5 h/day (h/d), men who slept less than 6.0 h/d and higher than 9.0 h/d had lower sperm volume of 12% [95% confidence interval (CI): -22%, -0.68%] and 3.9% (95% CI: -7.3%, -0.44%), respectively. Compared to men with night sleep duration of 7.5-8.0 h/d, men who slept less than 6.0 h/d had lower total and progressive sperm motility of 4.4% (95 CI:-8.4%, -0.24%) and 5.0% (95% CI: -9.2%, -0.48%), respectively. Compared to men who reported good sleep quality (total PSQI score ≤5.0), those reporting poor sleep quality (total PSQI score >5.0) had lower total sperm count, total motility, and progressive motility of 8.0% (95% CI: -15%, -0.046%), 3.9% (95% CI: -6.2%, -1.5%), and 4.0% (95% CI: -6.5%, -1.4%), respectively. CONCLUSIONS Both long and short sleep duration and poor sleep quality were associated with impaired semen quality parameters. The high within-individual variability of total and progressive sperm motility suggests that a single measurement may result in a moderate degree of classification error.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heng-Gui Chen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, and Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China
| | - Bin Sun
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, and Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China
| | - Ying-Jun Chen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, and Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China
| | - Jorge E Chavarro
- Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Si-Heng Hu
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China; Hubei Province Human Sperm Bank, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China
| | - Cheng-Liang Xiong
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China; Hubei Province Human Sperm Bank, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China
| | - An Pan
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, and Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China.
| | - Tian-Qing Meng
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China; Hubei Province Human Sperm Bank, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China.
| | - Yi-Xin Wang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, and Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China; Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Carmen Messerlian
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
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Chen YJ, Duan P, Meng TQ, Chen HG, Chavarro JE, Xiong CL, Pan A, Wang YX, Lu WQ, Messerlian C. Associations of blood trihalomethanes with semen quality among 1199 healthy Chinese men screened as potential sperm donors. Environ Int 2020; 134:105335. [PMID: 31783240 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2019.105335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2019] [Revised: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Trihalomethanes (THMs) have demonstrated adverse effects on male reproductive systems in experimental animals, but human evidence has been inconsistent. Prior researches have been limited by small sample sizes and inadequate exposure assessment. OBJECTIVES To investigate the association between blood THMs and repeated measurements of semen quality parameters among 1199 healthy men screened as potential sperm donors. METHODS We recruited healthy men presenting to the Hubei Province Human Sperm Bank from April to December 2017. At study entry, each participant provided a spot blood sample which was used to quantify blood concentrations of four THMs: chloroform (TCM), bromodichloromethane (BDCM), dibromochloromethane (DBCM) and bromoform (TBM). The summary measures of exposure for brominated THMs (Br-THMs; molar sum of BDCM, DBCM and TBM) and total THMs (TTHMs; molar sum of TCM and Br-THMs) were also calculated. We used multivariable linear regression models to estimate the cross-sectional associations of tertiles of blood THM concentrations with semen quality parameters measured at study entry, and mixed-effect models to estimate the longitudinal associations accounting for repeated measures of semen quality, adjusting for relevant confounding factors. RESULTS In the cross-sectional analysis, several inverse dose-response relationships were observed across tertiles of blood TCM concentrations and sperm count, total motility and progressive motility, and between blood DBCM, and Br-THMs, and TTHMs and sperm count and concentration. The inverse associations of blood TCM, DBCM, Br-THMs and TTHMs with sperm count were confirmed in the longitudinal, repeated measure analysis. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that exposure to THMs from drinking water may be related to decreased semen quality in young healthy men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying-Jun Chen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China; Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China
| | - Peng Duan
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Xiangyang No. 1 People's Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Xiangyang, Hubei, PR China
| | - Tian-Qing Meng
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China; Hubei Province Human Sperm Bank, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China
| | - Heng-Gui Chen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China; Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China
| | - Jorge E Chavarro
- Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Cheng-Liang Xiong
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China; Hubei Province Human Sperm Bank, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China
| | - An Pan
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China; Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China.
| | - Yi-Xin Wang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China; Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China; Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Wen-Qing Lu
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China; Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China.
| | - Carmen Messerlian
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
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15
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Xiong Z, Ye Z, Tu J, Meng TQ, Ren N. [Serum anti-Müllerian hormone level for differential diagnosis of obstructive and non-obstructive azoospermia]. Zhonghua Nan Ke Xue 2019; 25:823-827. [PMID: 32233210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine whether the serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) level can be used as a serum marker for the differential diagnosis of obstructive azoospermia (OA) and non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA). METHODS Using chemiluminescence immunoassay, we detected the levels of serum AMH, inhibin B (IhB) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and measured by scrotal ultrasound the testis volume of 43 normal fertile men and 14 OA and 45 NOA male patients, followed by a comparative analysis of the data obtained among the three groups subjects. RESULTS Compared with the NOA patients, the men in the normal control and OA groups showed significantly higher levels of AMH ([5.65 ± 3.13] vs [8.13 ± 3.95] and [8.51 ± 4.77] ng/ml, P < 0.05) and InH ([25.98±16.29] vs [127.38 ± 40.5] and [131.25 ± 52.3] pg/ml, P < 0.01), but a lower level of FSH ([19.87 ± 13.09] vs [4.22 ± 3.23] and [4.54 ± 2.09] IU/L, P < 0.01), none with statistically significant difference between the latter two groups (P > 0.05). Pearson correlation analysis exhibited that the level of IhB was correlated positively with that of AMH (r = 0.326, P = 0.01) but negatively with that of FSH (r =-0.662, P < 0.01), the FSH level negatively with the AMH level (r = -0.468, P < 0.01), the testis volume positively with the levels of AMH (r = 0.339, P < 0.01) and IhB (r = 0.733, P < 0.01) but negatively with that of FSH (r = 0.597, P < 0.01), the sperm concentration positively with that of IhB (r = 0.522, P < 0.01) but negatively with that of FSH (r = -0.421, P < 0.01), and the testis volume positively with the sperm concentration (r = 0.605, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS AMH can be used as one of the serum markers for testicular spermatogenesis and employed alone or in combination with IhB and FSH for the differential diagnosis of OA and NOA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Xiong
- Department of Physiology, Jianghan University School of Medicine, Wuhan, Hubei 430056, China
| | - Zhen Ye
- Department of Urology, Tongji Hospital of Reproductive Medicine, Wuhan, Hubei 430013, China
| | - Jian Tu
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Yueyang Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Yueyang, Hunan 414000, China
| | - Tian-Qing Meng
- Department of Urology, Tongji Hospital of Reproductive Medicine, Wuhan, Hubei 430013, China
| | - Ning Ren
- Research Institute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
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16
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Yuan HF, Shangguan HF, Zheng Y, Meng TQ, Xiong CL, Guan HT. Decline in semen concentration of healthy Chinese adults: evidence from 9357 participants from 2010 to 2015. Asian J Androl 2019; 20:379-384. [PMID: 29493550 PMCID: PMC6038153 DOI: 10.4103/aja.aja_80_17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The present study aims to analyze sperm concentration trends among young and healthy Chinese adults in Wuhan, Central China, from 2010 to 2015. Semen analysis data from 9357 participants were collected and analyzed using a general linear model and the Cochran–Armitage trend test. A significant decline was observed in sperm concentration (β [standard deviation]: −1.53 [0.16]; P < 0.001). In addition, a decline in sperm density was observed by stratifying student versus nonstudent sperm donors and by analyzing the year of birth or birth year cohort of the participants. Furthermore, the percentage of participants with sperm densities of over 40 × 106 ml−1 significantly decreased with year. Notably, a dramatic decline in sperm density was recorded over the first 5 years of study. This research reported a decline in sperm concentration among young adults in Wuhan, Central China, in 2010–2015.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Fang Yuan
- Family Planning Research Institute, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | | | - Yi Zheng
- Department of Venereology, Wuhan Institute of Dermatology and Venereology, Wuhan 430031, China
| | - Tian-Qing Meng
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China.,Hubei Province Human Sperm Bank, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Cheng-Liang Xiong
- Family Planning Research Institute, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China.,Reproductive Medicine Center, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China.,Hubei Province Human Sperm Bank, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Huang-Tao Guan
- Family Planning Research Institute, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China.,Reproductive Medicine Center, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China.,Hubei Province Human Sperm Bank, Wuhan 430030, China
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Wang YX, Liu C, Chen YJ, Duan P, Wang Q, Chen C, Sun Y, Huang LL, Wang L, Chen C, Li J, Ai SH, Huang Z, Sun L, Wan ZZ, Pan A, Meng TQ, Lu WQ. Profiles, variability and predictors of concentrations of blood trihalomethanes and urinary haloacetic acids along pregnancy among 1760 Chinese women. Environ Res 2019; 172:665-674. [PMID: 30878738 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2019.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2018] [Revised: 02/28/2019] [Accepted: 03/07/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Blood trihalomethanes (THMs) and urinary haloacetic acids (HAAs) are the leading candidate biomarkers for disinfection byproduct (DBP) exposure. However, no studies have assessed the exposure profiles, temporal variability, and potential predictors of these biomarkers during pregnancy. Here we collected blood (n = 4304) and urine samples (n = 4165) from 1760 Chinese pregnant women during early, mid-, and late pregnancy, which were separately analyzed for 4 THMs and 2 HAAs. We calculated the intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) to assess the variability of these biomarkers and estimated their correlations with sociodemographic, water-use behavioral, dietary and sample collection factors using mixed models. The median concentrations of TCM, BDCM, Br-THMs [sum of BDCM, dibromochloromethane (DBCM), bromoform (TBM)], total THMs (TTHMs, sum of TCM and Br-THMs), DCAA and TCAA in the water distribution system were 4.2 μg/L, 1.7 μg/L, 2.9 μg/L, 7.1 μg/L, 3.4 μg/L and 8.2 μg/L, respectively. Chloroform (TCM), bromodichloromethane (BDCM), dichloroacetic acid (DCAA) and trichloroacetic acid (TCAA) were detected in > 75% of the biospecimens. Repeated measurements of blood TCM, BDCM, Br-THMs and TTHMs and urinary DCAA and TCAA uniformly exhibited high variability (ICCs = 0.01-0.13); the use of a single measurement to classify gestational average exposure resulted in a high degree of exposure misclassification. The sampling season was a strong predictor of all analyzed DBPs. Additionally, we detected a positive association of blood TCM and BDCM with household income, urinary DCAA with age, and urinary TCAA with tap water usage, education level and amount of tap water consumed. Inverse associations were found between blood BDCM and vegetable consumption, and between blood Br-THM and TTHM and time interval since the last bathing/showering. Afternoon samples had lower DCAA concentrations than did early morning samples. Our results indicate that blood THM and urinary HAA concentrations vary greatly over the course of pregnancy and are affected by sampling season, time of day of blood/urine collection, sociodemographic factors, recent water-use activities and dietary intake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Xin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental health (incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China; Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China.
| | - Chong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental health (incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China; Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China
| | - Ying-Jun Chen
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China
| | - Peng Duan
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Xiangyang No. 1 People's Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Xiangyang, PR China; Reproductive Medicine Center, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hubei Province Human Sperm Bank, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Qi Wang
- Department of Pathology, Bengbu Medical College, Anhui, PR China
| | - Chao Chen
- State Joint Key-Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, PR China
| | - Yang Sun
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental health (incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China; Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China
| | - Li-Li Huang
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental health (incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China; Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China
| | - Liang Wang
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, College of Public Health, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, USA
| | - Chen Chen
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China
| | - Jin Li
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental health (incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China; Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China
| | - Song-Hua Ai
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental health (incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China; Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China
| | - Zhen Huang
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental health (incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China; Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China
| | - Li Sun
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental health (incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China; Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China
| | - Zhen-Zhen Wan
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental health (incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China; Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China
| | - An Pan
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China
| | - Tian-Qing Meng
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hubei Province Human Sperm Bank, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
| | - Wen-Qing Lu
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental health (incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China; Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China.
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Rao M, Meng TQ, Hu SH, Guan HT, Wei QY, Xia W, Zhu CH, Xiong CL. Evaluation of semen quality in 1808 university students, from Wuhan, Central China. Asian J Androl 2016; 17:111-6. [PMID: 25337834 PMCID: PMC4291853 DOI: 10.4103/1008-682x.135984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the semen quality of university students in Wuhan, the largest city in the world in terms of the number of university students. All student sperm donors recorded in the Hubei Province Human Sperm Bank from 1 March 2010 to 31 December 2013 were screened. At last, a total of 3616 semen samples from 1808 university student sperm donors were eligible and retrospectively analyzed. Each donor's semen parameters were averaged over two samples and compared with the World Health Organization criteria, and a generalized linear regression model was used to examine several determinants of semen quality. We found that the mean and median values were 3.0 ml and 2.8 ml for semen volume, 50.2 × 106 ml−1 and 50.0 × 106 ml−1 for sperm concentration, 148.1 × 106 and 142.1 × 106 for total sperm count, and 58.6% and 60.0% for total sperm motility. About 85.0% of donors had parameters that were all normal. Season and duration of abstinence were critical factors affecting semen quality. We also found a decrease in sperm concentration during the 4 years observation; however, this may not be a strong evidence to confirm the declining trend of semen quality. In conclusion, semen quality of university students in Wuhan was not optimal and should be paid high attention, long-term observation and further study should be carried out to confirm the present situation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Wei Xia
- Family Planning Research Institute; Reproductive Medicine Center, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology; Hubei Province Human Sperm Bank, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
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Guan HT, Wang Z, Meng TQ, Xia W, Xiong CL, Li CL. [Screening results and causes of uncompleted donation process in 1 145 sperm donors]. Zhonghua Nan Ke Xue 2014; 20:124-128. [PMID: 24520662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To improve the reception and recruitment of sperm donors in sperm banks in China, and solve the problem of insufficiency in sperm donation. METHODS We reviewed the recruitment of 1 145 men for sperm donation in the Human Sperm Bank of Hubei Province from September 2011 to April 2012, analyzed the reasons for those not included, and interviewed those included but unwilling to donate sperm. RESULTS Among the 1 145 recruits, 551 (48.12%) were students and 594 (51.88%) were other individuals. After the first semen screening, 503 (43.93%) quitted, including 202 students (36.66% of the students recruited) and 301 others (50.67% of the other individuals recruited). After the second semen screening, 432 (37.73%) were excluded, and another 45 (3.93%) excluded after laboratory examination, including 16 cases of mycoplasma positive. Totally, 165 recruits (14.41%) passed the semen screening and laboratory examination, but only 144 of them (87.27%) completed, while the other 21 (12.73%) failed to complete the whole donation process. CONCLUSION Low rates of screening qualification and donation process completion are common problems in human sperm banks. The rate of qualified sperm donors can be increased and the operational cost of the human sperm bank can be reduced by enabling the recruits to accomplish the whole donation process. Explanation at the reception, later interview with the recruits, and donors' trust in the sperm bank play important roles in raising the completion rate of sperm donation process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huang-Tao Guan
- Research Institute of Family Planning/Center of Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China.
| | - Zhao Wang
- Wuhan Hospital of Reproductive Medicine, Wuhan, Hubei 430010, China
| | - Tian-Qing Meng
- Wuhan Hospital of Reproductive Medicine, Wuhan, Hubei 430010, China
| | - Wei Xia
- Research Institute of Family Planning/Center of Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
| | - Cheng-Liang Xiong
- Research Institute of Family Planning/Center of Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
| | - Cui-Ling Li
- Research Institute of Family Planning/Center of Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
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