Infertility Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Infertility, including details on male and female infertility, treatment, causes, pregnancy.

Human exposure to endocrine disrupters and semen quality.

Phillips KP, Tanphaichitr N

Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Karen.Phillips@uottawa.ca

Reproductive pathology in the male represents about 20% of infertility cases. Male infertility may be attributed to a number of causes, including genetic and congenital abnormalities, infection, multisystemic diseases, varicocele, and others; however, a significant number of cases are idiopathic. Global declines in semen quality were suggested to be associated with enhanced exposure to environmental chemicals that act as endocrine disrupters as a result of our increased use of pesticides, plastics, and other anthropogenic materials. A significant body of toxicology data based upon laboratory and wildlife animals studies suggests that exposure to certain endocrine disrupters is associated with reproductive toxicity, including (1) abnormalities of the male reproductive tract (cryptorchidism, hypospadias), (2) reduced semen quality, and (3) impaired fertility in the adult. There is, however, a relative paucity of studies designed to measure exposure to endocrine disrupters on semen quality parameters (sperm concentration, motility, morphology). An overview of the human semen quality literature is presented that examines the role of endocrine disrupters including organochlorines (OC), dioxins, phthalates, phytoestrogens, and chemical mixtures (pesticides and tobacco smoke).

Published 27 March 2008 in J Toxicol Environ Health B Crit Rev, 11(3): 188-220.
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