Identifying the dose response relationship between seminal metal at low levels and semen quality using restricted cubic spline function. (May 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Jia, Xueshan; Dong, Tingting; Han, Yufen; Yue, Zhongyi; Zhang, Pingyang; Ren, Jingchao; Wang, Yongbin; Wu, Weidong; Yang, Huan; Guo, Haibin; Zhang, Guang-hui; Cao, Jia
• Is Part Of: Chemosphere. Volume 295(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-05
• Subjects: Vanadium -- Chromium -- Nickel -- Sperm -- Semen quality -- Malondialdehyde; Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Physiological effect -- Periodicals; Environmental sciences -- Periodicals; Atmospheric chemistry -- Periodicals; 551.511
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.133805
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0045-6535

Abstract

Abstract: Environmental exposure to metals, including essential and nonessential elements, may be related to semen quality. Our goal was to explore the continuous relationship between seminal metals and sperm parameters. A restricted cubic spline (RCS) was applied to automatic selection criteria to ascertain the optimal smoothing degree. We recruited 841 male volunteers from Henan Province, China. Eighteen seminal metals, namely Al, Cr, Mn, Cu, Zn, Se, As, Ni, Cd, Pb, Co, V, Rb, Ag, Ba, TI, Fe, and Li, and 21 semen parameters were detected. Seminal malondialdehyde (MDA) was also detected to express oxidative stress. We revealed a non-linear relationship of the vanadium and chromium exposure to semen parameters. There were inverse 'U' shapes found between seminal Cr and sperm concentrations, total sperm count, and semen quality. The best semen quality was observed when the seminal Cr concentration was 5.05 ppb, and an increase or decrease in chromium concentration led to decreased semen quality. The V concentration was associated with reduced sperm concentration, total sperm count, normal morphology, and progressive motility at high doses (V > 0.58 ppb). Seminal MDA had a strong adverse association with sperm motility parameters, such as curve line velocity (VCL) ( P < 0.001), straight line velocity (VSL) ( P = 0.004), velocity of average path (VAP) ( P < 0.001), and lateral head movement (ALH) ( P = 0.001), whereas it was adversely associated with seminal Zn (β [95% confidence interval (CI)], −0.28(-0.41–0.16), P < 0.001) after adjusting for confounding factors. Our findings represent the curves of the dose-response relationship between seminal Cr, seminal V, and semen quality, in which seminal MDA was a good indicator of sperm movement. These models provide new insight into the dose-relationship between metal exposure and semen quality, and further investigation is needed to validate this. Graphical abstract: Image 1 Highlights: Metals in seminal plasma and sperm biomarkers were screened in non-occupational men. Seminal metals at environmental levels were associated with reduced semen quality. High seminal vanadium concentration was associated with reduced sperm concentration. Seminal chromium exposure represented inverse 'U' shapes with semen parameters. Seminal malondialdehyde is a good biomarker to indicate sperm motility parameters.