Association of urinary metal levels with human semen quality: A cross-sectional study in China

Background. The Akaki River in Ethiopia has been found to contain elevated levels of several metals. Our objectives were to characterize metals exposures of residents living near the Akaki River and to assess metal levels in their drinking water.Methods. In 2011, we conducted a cross-sectional study of 101 households in Akaki-Kality subcity (near the Akaki River) and 50 households in Yeka subcity (distant to the Akaki River). One willing adult in each household provided urine, blood, and drinking water sample.Results. Urinary molybdenum (p<0.001), tungsten (p<0.001), lead (p<0.001), uranium (p<0.001), and mercury (p=0.049) were higher in Akaki-Kality participants compared to Yeka participants. Participants in both subcities had low urinary iodine; 45% met the World Health Organization (WHO) classification for being at risk of moderate iodine deficiency. In Yeka, 47% of households exceeded the WHO aesthetic-based reference value for manganese; in Akaki-Kality, only 2% of households exceeded this value (p<0.001). There was no correlation between metals levels in water samples and clinical specimens.Conclusions. Most of the exposures found during this investigation seem unlikely to cause acute health effects based on known toxic thresholds. However, toxicity data for many of these metals are very limited.

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Consumption of Sugar-Sweetened or Artificially Sweetened Beverages and Semen Quality in Young Men: A Cross-Sectional Study

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph19020682 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 19 (2) ◽

pp. 682

Author(s):

Maiken Meldgaard ◽

Nis Brix ◽

Anne Gaml-Sørensen ◽

Andreas Ernst ◽

Cecilia Høst Ramlau-Hansen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Negative Binomial ◽

Semen Quality ◽

Young Men ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Male Participant ◽

Negative Binomial Regression Model ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Sweetened Beverages ◽

Artificially Sweetened Beverages

Background: Existing literature suggests that frequent consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks may be associated with lower semen quality. Studies performed in mice suggest a dose-response relationship between intake of saccharin or aspartame, two artificial sweeteners, and sperm and testis function. Methods: A cross-sectional study based on data from The Fetal Programming of Semen Quality (FEPOS) Cohort, including 1047 young men (mean age = 19 years) was performed. Each male participant completed an online questionnaire on health, health behavior and diet, and provided a semen sample. The associations between consumption of sugar-sweetened or artificially sweetened beverages (moderate ≥ 3 days/week; infrequent < 3 days/week) and semen quality were analyzed using a multivariable, negative, binomial regression model. Results: Sugar-sweetened or artificially sweetened beverage consumption was not strongly associated with either semen volume, sperm concentration, total sperm count or total motility in young men. The proportion of morphologically normal sperm was 11% lower (0.89 (95% CI 0.76, 1.04)) for moderate (≥3 days/week) consumption of artificially sweetened beverages relative to infrequent (<3 days/week). Conclusion: Consumption of sugar-sweetened or artificially sweetened beverages, at the levels present in this study had limited effect on the measured markers of semen quality in young men.

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Semen quality pattern and age threshold: a retrospective cross-sectional study of 71,623 infertile men in China, between 2011 and 2017

Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology ◽

10.1186/s12958-019-0551-2 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

W. N. Li ◽

M. M. Jia ◽

Y. Q. Peng ◽

R. Ding ◽

L. Q. Fan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Semen Quality ◽

Sperm Count ◽

Sperm Concentration ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Semen Parameters ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Joinpoint Regression ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Progressive Motility ◽

Infertile Men

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to provide information on the semen quality pattern of infertile men and age thresholds for semen parameters in China. Methods This was a retrospective cross-sectional study investigating 71,623 infertile men from the Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of CITIC Xiangya in Hunan, China, from 2011 to 2017. The Kruskal-Wallis test, Mann-Kendall test, linear regression model and joinpoint regression were used. Results Although erratic changes were observed in the median semen parameters (sperm concentration 40.1–52.1 × 106/ml, total sperm count 117.8–153.1 × 106, sperm progressive motility 33.4–38.1%) during the 7 years of observation, no significant decrease in semen quality was found, and 47.88% of infertile men showed normal semen parameters according to the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. According to the joinpoint regression analysis, sperm progressive motility appeared to decrease earlier than the sperm concentration and total sperm count (at 28, 58, and 42 years of age, respectively). Conclusions There is no evidence of a deterioration in semen quality among infertile men in Hunan, China. Semen parameters decreased with increasing age, with turning points noted at different ages. Semen parameters are not absolute evidence for the assessment of male fertility potential. Therefore, we believe that, among semen parameters, the sperm concentration is the best predictor of fertility for ART, followed by motility. Decreased sperm motility may affect natural pregnancy, but it is not necessary for successful IVF.

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Urinary Metal Concentrations in Relation to Semen Quality: A Cross-Sectional Study in China

Environmental Science & Technology ◽

10.1021/es5053478 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 49 (8) ◽

pp. 5052-5059 ◽

Cited By ~ 30

Author(s):

Qiang Zeng ◽

Wei Feng ◽

Bin Zhou ◽

Yi-Xin Wang ◽

Xiao-Sheng He ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Semen Quality ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Metal Concentrations

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Dietary Antioxidant Intake in Relation to Semen Quality Parameters in Infertile Men: a Cross-Sectional Study

Clinical Nutrition Research ◽

10.7762/cnr.2019.8.3.229 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. 229

Author(s):

Mehran Rahimlou ◽

Sara Sohaei ◽

Mohammadhossein Nasr-Esfahani ◽

Mehran Nouri

Keyword(s):

Semen Quality ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Quality Parameters ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Infertile Men ◽

Dietary Antioxidant ◽

Antioxidant Intake

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The association between animal flesh foods consumption and semen parameters among infertile Iranian men: a cross-sectional study

Nutrition Journal ◽

10.1186/s12937-020-00633-w ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Reza Ghiasvand ◽

Laleh Dehghan Marvast ◽

Seyyed Payam Shariatpanahi ◽

Makan Pourmasoumi ◽

Cain C. T. Clark ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Indicators ◽

Semen Quality ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Red Meat ◽

Fish Intake ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Fresh Fish ◽

Infertile Men ◽

Canned Fish

Abstract Background Previous studies have demonstrated the association between dietary patterns and semen quality indicators, but research on the possible association between animal flesh foods consumption and semen quality is limited. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the association between animal flesh foods consumption with semen quality. Methods In this cross-sectional study, 400 newly-identified (< 6 months) infertile men, as diagnosed by an andrologist, were recruited into the study. Dietary intake was assessed by using a semiquantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire. The total meat consumption was defined as the sum of red meat, poultry, fresh fish, canned fish, processed meats, and organ meats in the diet. A linear mixed model was used to assess the relationship between meat consumption and semen quality indicators of participants. Results Consumption of canned fish was inversely related to sperm immotility. Compared with the men in the lowest quartile of canned fish intake, those in the highest quartile had a lower sperm immotility [lowest quartile: 52.5%; (95% CI: 47–57) vs 47.4%; (95% CI: 43–51) P-trend = 0.026]. Similarly, a trend toward an inverse significant association between fresh fish intake and sperm immotility was observed (P-trend = 0.074). In contrast, fresh and canned fish intake was unrelated to other outcomes of sperm quality (P-trend > 0.05). No association was found between consumption of processed red meat, red meat, poultry, and organ meat, and semen quality indicators (P-trend > 0.05). Conclusions We found that consumption of canned fish is associated with a lower percentage of immotile sperm, whilst a high consumption of fresh fish increased the percentage of immotile sperm in Iranian infertile men. Further studies are recommended in this regard.

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