Endocrine disruptors threatens semen quality
Scientists from UNIGE and IRSET have established a link between poor semen quality in adult men and their mothers' occupational exposure to endocrine disruptors during pregnancy.
2021-03-19
(Press-News.org) A growing number of studies show that the environmental factors and lifestyle habits of pregnant women play an important role in the health of their child. But how about the semen quality of young men? Researchers at the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, showed two years ago that only 38% of Swiss men had semne parameters above the thresholds set by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for fertile men. Epidemiologists from the Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail (IRSET, Rennes, France), in collaboration with the UNIGE team analyzed the potential impact of endocrine disruptors on semen quality of men whose mothers were working at the early stages of their pregnancy. Their results, published in the journal Human Reproduction, show that men who have been exposed in utero to products known to contain endocrine disruptors are twice more likely to have semen volume and total sperm count per ejaculation below the reference values set by the WHO.
Endocrine disrupters are chemical substances of natural or synthetic origin which can interfere with the endocrine system and causes adverse health effects in an organism, or its progeny, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). "Several animal studies have already shown that gestational exposure to certain endocrine disruptors can influence the development of the male reproductive system, as well as the sperm production and semen quality in adulthood," explains Ronan Garlantézec, a researcher at the IRSET, the Rennes University Hospital Centre (CHU) and University of Rennes 1. "In view of the results obtained by Serge Nef's team on the semen quality of young Swiss men, we were interested in studying the potential effect of exposure to endocrine disruptors during pregnancy as one out of many possible reasons behind the observed trends", he continues.
The semen of more than 1000 conscripts analysed
The team of Serge Nef, professor at the Department of Genetic Medicine and Development of the UNIGE Faculty of Medicine, has evaluated semen quality of around 3000 conscripts, 1045 out of which had their mother working during pregnancy. "For each of them, a semen quality analysis was carried out to determine the semen volume, as well as the sperm concentration, motility and morphology," explains the Serge Nef. "A detailed questionnaire was also sent to the parents before the semen analysis was carried out, covering in particular the maternal jobs exerted during the conscripts' pregnancy period."
This allowed for the analysis of semen parameters of men whose mothers were employed during their pregnancy. "The maternal jobs were classified according to the International Classification of Occupations (ISCO-88 of the International Labour Office of the WHO)," explains Luc Multigner, research director at the IRSET. "Exposure to products containing endocrine disruptors during pregnancy has been defined using a job-exposure matrix, which makes it possible to attribute the maternal exposure a probability score." This has enabled epidemiologists to establish probabilities of exposure to one or more categories of products that may contain endocrine disruptors according to the mother's occupation.
Endocrine disruptors associated with poorer sperm quality
The results of this study show that young men exposed in utero to endocrine disruptors are twice as likely to have values below the reference values established by the WHO, both in terms of the semen volume (threshold at 2 ml) and the total number of spermatozoa per ejaculation (40 million). "In our study, the products most associated with these anomalies were pesticides, phthalates and heavy metals", notes Ronan Garlantézec.
"These observations do not determine the future fertility of young men, and only a follow-up over time will make it possible to assess the consequences. Nevertheless, the results could explain, at least in part, the low semen quality of some young Swiss men", Serge Nef continues. An additional study is already planned in this same population to study the link between maternal occupational exposure to endocrine disruptors and changes in sexual hormones during adulthood.
Preventing exposure to endocrine disruptors
The results of this study suggest an association between the mother's occupational exposure to endocrine disruptors and a decrease in several semen parameters in their children during adulthood. "It therefore appears necessary to inform women planning to conceive and during their early stages of pregnancy of the potential hazards of exposure to these substances, which could alter their children's fertility", underlines Luc Multigner. "Similarly, it would be interesting to carry out a similar study in women, in order to evaluate whether the impact of endocrine disruptors is the same on the female reproductive system, although this is much more complex to carry out", explains Ronan Garlantézec. Finally, the data concerns mothers 25 years ago. Since then, the professions exerted by women have greatly evolved, as has the presence of endocrine disruptors in the products used. "Hence the crucial preventive role of this study", concludes Serge Nef.
INFORMATION:
[Attachments] See images for this press release:
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
2021-03-19
For the first time researchers from Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Radboudumc, Maastricht UMC+ and international colleagues have gained insight into the "hidden genetic defects" of the general European population. This is important because these defects, if inherited from both father and mother, can lead to all kinds of illnesses in their children. Research in the Dutch and Estonian population shows that every person has two to four such hidden genetic defects. In 1 in 100 couples, this leads to a situation with an increased risk of a genetic disease for future children. In the case of consanguinity, even 20 percent of the couples appear to be at high risk. This research is published in The American Journal of Human Genetics and Genetics in Medicine.
The genes of a every ...
2021-03-19
Aspergillus fumigatus kills as many people as malaria and tuberculosis, but is less known. It is found "everywhere", for example in the soil or in our compost, but is not normally dangerous to healthy people.
Those who die from it often have a poor immune system or are hospitalized for lung infections, such as covid-19.
Aspergillus also constitutes an increasing problem in agriculture, because the fungus causes deadly infections in both plants and animals. In the same way that many bacteria are resistant to antibiotics, also this fungus is now becoming more and more resistant to the limited repertoire of treatments. It is therefore important to find new ways to fight fungal ...
2021-03-19
March 19, 2021, Bristol, UK - A new peer-reviewed study published in the journal Toxicological Research & Application shows acute exposure of a 3D human bronchial tissue model to e-cigarette aerosol has minimal impact on gene expression compared to smoke from combustible cigarettes.
The research involved sub-cytotoxic exposure to cells in a 3D human bronchial model (MucilAirTM) to nicotine-containing vape aerosol, combustible cigarette smoke and fresh air control under strict laboratory conditions.
The highly sensitive Toxicity Testing in the Twenty-First Century (TT21C)-based technique allows researchers to gain a ...
2021-03-19
Approximately 8 out of every 10 health professionals in Spain are willing to be vaccinated against COVID-19, according to a study led by researchers from the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC). Published in the open-access journal Vaccines, the study assessed for the first time this population segment's willingness to be vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 and concluded that the level of acceptance is higher among physicians than among nursing staff. Among the reasons given by health personnel for not wanting to be immunized, fears about the vaccines' safety and the potential side effects stood out.
Although vaccination is considered to the most effective method for preventing and eradicating viral infections and stopping ...
2021-03-19
The risk of being bullied at work is twice as high if you were born abroad. And if you come from a culture that is culturally dissimilar to Sweden's, the risk is even higher. These are the results of a Swedish study from Linköping University that was recently published in The International Journal of Human Resource Management.
Employers in Sweden have a duty to ensure that the workplace is safe, with a healthy atmosphere. Despite this, some employees are treated poorly, excluded and ignored. When such treatment has continued for a longer period, it is defined as bullying.
Researchers at Linköping University wanted to see if people born abroad run a greater risk of being bullied at work.
"Our results show an increased risk of bullying ...
2021-03-19
The headquarter of a eukaryotic cell is the nucleus, and most of the cell's information and instructions are stored there in the form of DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid). The DNA, which is twisted, rolled and bundled two-meter-long chain, together with protein molecules, makes up the chromatin fiber that lays inside the nucleus. For years, scientists were curious how these components are organized. How is it possible that proteins necessary in biochemical reactions move efficiently within the nucleus full of DNA? Recent studies have finally solved the mystery. Findings describing it in detail were published in the Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters on December 21st, 2020.
Molecules ...
2021-03-19
Stay tuned for the hottest science in the prevention of heart disease at ESC Preventive Cardiology 2021, an online scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). The annual congress of the European Association of Preventive Cardiology (EAPC), a branch of the ESC, takes place 15 to 17 April online.
Preventive cardiology covers how to avoid first and subsequent heart attacks and strokes. It also includes sports cardiology, primary care, epidemiology and population science, basic and translational research, and rehabilitation after an event. Explore the scientific programme.
Novel research will be presented including new insights into the connections between diet, exercise, and cardiovascular health. How does shift work affect the body? And are there links between climate ...
2021-03-19
Solar energy is a clean, renewable source of electricity that could potentially play a significant part in fulfilling the world's energy requirements, but there are still some challenges to fully capitalizing on this potential. Researchers looked into some of the issues that hamper the uptake of solar energy and proposed different policies to encourage the use of this technology.
Installing solar panels to offset energy costs and reduce the environmental impact of their homes has been gaining popularity with homeowners in recent years. On a global scale, an increasing number of countries are similarly encouraging the installation of solar photovoltaics ...
2021-03-19
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- A camera-trap study in the Mendocino National Forest in Northern California reveals that black bears are adept at finding and stealing the remains of adult deer killed by pumas. This "kleptoparasitism" by bears, as scientists call it, reduces the calories pumas consume in seasons when the bears are most active. Perhaps in response to this shortage, the pumas hunt more often and eat more small game when the bears are not in hibernation.
The findings are published in the journal Basic and Applied Ecology.
Pumas, also known as mountain lions or cougars, are apex ...
2021-03-19
Due to their tissue-like mechanical properties, hydrogels are being increasingly used for biomedical applications; a well-known example are soft contact lenses. These gel-like polymers consist of 90 percent water, are elastic and particularly biocompatible. Hydrogels that are also electrically conductive allow additional fields of application, for example in the transmission of electrical signals in the body or as sensors. An interdisciplinary research team of the Research Training Group (RTG) 2154 "Materials for Brain" at Kiel University (CAU) has now developed a method to produce hydrogels with an excellent level of electrical conductivity. What makes this method special is that the mechanical properties of ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
[Press-News.org] Endocrine disruptors threatens semen quality
Scientists from UNIGE and IRSET have established a link between poor semen quality in adult men and their mothers' occupational exposure to endocrine disruptors during pregnancy.
