Faiad Walaa, Soukkarieh Chadi, Murphy Denis J, Hanano Abdulsamie
Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Damascus, Damascus, Syria.
School of Applied Sciences, University of South Wales, Wales, United Kingdom.
Front Reprod Health. 2022 Oct 21;4:1009090. doi: 10.3389/frph.2022.1009090. eCollection 2022.
The male reproductive system is especially affected by dioxins, a group of persistent environmental pollutants, resulting in irreversible abnormalities including effects on sexual function and fertility in adult males and possibly on the development of male offspring. The reproductive toxicity caused by dioxins is mostly mediated by an aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). In animals, spermatogenesis is a highly sensitive and dynamic process that includes proliferation and maturation of germ cells. Spermatogenesis is subject to multiple endogenous and exogenous regulatory factors, including a wide range of environmental toxicants such as dioxins. This review discusses the toxicological effects of dioxins on spermatogenesis and their relevance to male infertility. After a detailed categorization of the environmental contaminants affecting the spermatogenesis, the exposure pathways and bioavailability of dioxins in animals was briefly reviewed. The effects of dioxins on spermatogenesis are then outlined in detail. The endocrine-disrupting effects of dioxins in animals and humans are discussed with a particular focus on their effects on the expression of spermatogenesis-related genes. Finally, the impacts of dioxins on the ratio of X and Y chromosomes, the status of serum sex hormones, the quality and fertility of sperm, and the transgenerational effects of dioxins on male reproduction are reviewed.
男性生殖系统尤其容易受到二噁英（一类持久性环境污染物）的影响，会导致不可逆转的异常情况，包括对成年男性性功能和生育能力的影响，还可能影响雄性后代的发育。二噁英引起的生殖毒性主要由芳烃受体（AhR）介导。在动物中，精子发生是一个高度敏感且动态的过程，包括生殖细胞的增殖和成熟。精子发生受多种内源性和外源性调节因子的影响，包括二噁英等多种环境毒物。本文综述了二噁英对精子发生的毒理学影响及其与男性不育的相关性。在对影响精子发生的环境污染物进行详细分类后，简要回顾了动物中二噁英的暴露途径和生物利用度。然后详细概述了二噁英对精子发生的影响。讨论了二噁英在动物和人类中的内分泌干扰作用，特别关注其对精子发生相关基因表达的影响。最后，综述了二噁英对X和Y染色体比例、血清性激素水平、精子质量和生育能力的影响，以及二噁英对雄性生殖的跨代效应。
