Semen quality in relation to xenohormone and dioxin-like serum activity among inuits and three european populations

BACKGROUND: Semen quality in humans may be influenced by exposure to endocrine-disrupting compounds. OBJECTIVES: We analyzed associations between semen characteristics and serum xenoestrogen receptor (XER), xenoandrogen receptor (XAR), and aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) transactivity. XER and XAR a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental Health Perspectives
Main Authors: Toft, Gunnar, Long, Manhai, Krüger, Tanja, Hjelmborg, Philip S., Bonde, Jens Peter, Rignell-Hydbom, Anna, Tyrkiel, Ewa, Hagmar, Lars, Giwercman, Aleksander, Spanó, Marcello, Bizzaro, Davide, Pedersen, Henning S., Lesovoy, Vladymir, Ludwicki, Jan K., Bonefeld-Jørgensen, Eva C.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences 2007
Subjects:
Environmental Health and Occupational Health
Androgen receptor
Aryl hydrocarbon receptor
Calux
Endocrine disruption
Estrogen receptor
Human
Sperm
Greenland
inuit
inuits
Online Access:https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/adb58324-3c45-459d-838e-dbdf3be2149d
https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.9352
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Summary:BACKGROUND: Semen quality in humans may be influenced by exposure to endocrine-disrupting compounds. OBJECTIVES: We analyzed associations between semen characteristics and serum xenoestrogen receptor (XER), xenoandrogen receptor (XAR), and aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) transactivity. XER and XAR activity were measured in serum samples cleared for endogenous steroid hormones and AhR activity in raw lipophilic serum extracts free of proteins. RESULTS: All together, 319 men from Warsaw (Poland), Greenland, Kharkiv (Ukraine), and Sweden provided semen and blood samples. No strong and consistent associations between xenobiotic activity and semen quality measures were observed in the four populations. However, when the data were combined across populations sperm concentration increased 40% per unit increase in XER activity [95% confidence interval (CI), 1-79%] in the subgroup with XER activity below the reference level. Among subjects with XER activity above the reference level an increase of 14% (95% CI, 2-28%) was found. Furthermore, an increase of 10% motile sperm per unit increase in XER activity below reference level (95% CI, 0.2-20) was found. We are unable to exclude that the associations are chance findings. CONCLUSION: Alteration of XER, XAR, or AhR transactivity within the range found in serum from the general European and Inuit population seems not to markedly deteriorate sperm cell concentration, motility, or morphology in adult men.

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