Song Gook-Sup, Seo Ju Tae
Department of Architecture, Bucheon College, Geongki-Do 421-735, and Department of Urology, Samsung Cheil Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Int J Androl. 2006 Aug;29(4):446-57. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2605.2005.00628.x.
As Koreans habitually sit on the heated floor in their residential buildings, the male testis is directly exposed, and is therefore affected by the floor surface temperature. The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes in the scrotal temperature of the subjects in a sedentary posture over the heated floor. A rigid screening test was performed to select healthy subjects. Finally, six college students volunteered to participate in the experiments. Two experiments were performed in a controlled environmental chamber. Experiment I was designed for a low metabolism state, with the subjects reading a book in a sedentary posture for 50 min. The floor surface temperature (tf) was controlled by varying the temperature of water (tw) flowing into the floor coil from 15 to 50 degrees C, at 5 degrees C intervals. Experiment I revealed that the final scrotal surface temperature was 32.27, 32.62, 33.51, 33.34, 34.14, 34.28, 34.34 and 35.04 degrees C at the tw 15 degrees C (tf 17.0 degrees C), 20 degrees C (tf 20.8 degrees C), 25 degrees C (tf 24.1 degrees C), 30 degrees C (tf 27.8 degrees C), 35 degrees C (tf 31.7 degrees C), 40 degrees C (tf 35.9 degrees C), 45 degrees C (tf 38.6 degrees C) and 50 degrees C (tf 42.2 degrees C), respectively. At tf 17.0 and 20.8 degrees C, the scrotal temperature exhibited a declining pattern and a low temperature for spermatogenesis. At tf 24.1, 27.8 and 31.7 degrees C, however, the thermal regulatory system of the scrotum and testis was activated appropriately. On the contrary, scrotal temperature ascended at tf 35.9, 38.6 and 42.2 degrees C. Of the six subjects, two subjects demonstrated scrotal temperatures above 35 degrees C at tf 38.6 degrees C and four subjects exhibited scrotal temperatures above 35 degrees C at tf 42.2 degrees C. Experiment II was designed for a high metabolism state, with the subjects playing a card game in a sedentary posture for 180 min. The tf was controlled by varying the tw from 30 to 40 degrees C, at 5 degrees C intervals. Experiment II revealed that the final scrotal temperature was 33.43, 34.78 and 35.61 degrees C, and the difference between the initial and final scrotal temperatures was +0.34, +1.06 and +2.24 degrees C, at tw 30 degrees C (tf 27.8 degrees C), 35 degrees C (tf 31.7 degrees C) and tw 40 degrees C (tf 35.9 degrees C), respectively. The scrotal temperature was affected by the floor surface temperature and by the rate of metabolism of the subject in a sedentary posture. As derived from regression analysis, the recommended surface temperature of a heated floor is within 23-33 degrees C under the assumption that scrotal and consecutively testicular temperature above 35 degrees C impairs spermatogenesis.
由于韩国人习惯在住宅中坐在加热地板上，男性睾丸直接暴露在外，因此会受到地板表面温度的影响。本研究的目的是调查受试者在加热地板上久坐姿势下阴囊温度的变化。进行了严格的筛选测试以选择健康受试者。最后，六名大学生自愿参加实验。在可控环境舱中进行了两项实验。实验I针对低代谢状态设计，受试者以久坐姿势阅读一本书50分钟。通过将流入地板盘管的水的温度（tw）从15℃以5℃的间隔变化到50℃来控制地板表面温度（tf）。实验I表明，在tw为15℃（tf为17.0℃）、20℃（tf为20.8℃）、25℃（tf为24.1℃）、30℃（tf为27.8℃）、35℃（tf为31.7℃）、40℃（tf为35.9℃）、45℃（tf为38.6℃）和50℃（tf为42.2℃）时，最终阴囊表面温度分别为32.27、32.62、33.51、33.34、34.14、34.28、34.34和35.04℃。在tf为17.0℃和20.8℃时，阴囊温度呈现下降趋势且是有利于精子发生的低温。然而，在tf为24.1℃、27.8℃和31.7℃时，阴囊和睾丸的热调节系统被适当激活。相反，在tf为35.9℃、38.6℃和42.2℃时阴囊温度上升。在六名受试者中，两名受试者在tf为38.6℃时阴囊温度高于35℃，四名受试者在tf为42.2℃时阴囊温度高于35℃。实验II针对高代谢状态设计，受试者以久坐姿势玩纸牌游戏180分钟。通过将tw从30℃以5℃的间隔变化到40℃来控制tf。实验II表明，在tw为30℃（tf为27.8℃）、35℃（tf为31.7℃）和tw为40℃（tf为35.9℃）时，最终阴囊温度分别为33.43、34.78和35.61℃，阴囊初始温度与最终温度的差值分别为+0.34、+1.06和+2.24℃。阴囊温度受地板表面温度以及受试者久坐姿势下的代谢率影响。根据回归分析得出，假设阴囊以及随之而来的睾丸温度高于35℃会损害精子发生，加热地板的推荐表面温度在23 - 33℃范围内。
