Department of Applied Medical Chemistry, Medical Research Institute, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
Department of Clinical Trial Research Unit and Drug Discovery, Egyptian Liver Research Institute and Hospital (ELRIAH), Mansoura, Egypt; Microbiology Division, Higher Technological Institute of Applied Health Sciences, Egyptian Liver Research Institute and Hospital (ELRIAH), Mansoura, Egypt.
Food Chem Toxicol. 2024 Oct;192:114925. doi: 10.1016/j.fct.2024.114925. Epub 2024 Aug 12.
Idiopathic male infertility, a significant health concern, lacks a clear etiology. Cadmium (Cd), a widespread environmental pollutant known to impact male reproductive health negatively, can accumulate in mussels, a common food source in Egypt. This study investigated the link between ecological Cd exposure, oxidative stress, MT1A methylation, and idiopathic male infertility in two regions of Alexandria. Thirty-three infertile men and 33 fertile controls were included. Cd levels were measured in mussels from the study sites and in participants' blood and semen. Biomarkers reflecting Cd exposure and its effects were assessed. Mussel Cd levels exceeded regulatory limits. Infertile men revealed significantly higher blood and semen Cd levels, reduced semen quality, increased oxidative stress, and elevated MT1A methylation compared to controls. MT1A methylation was inversely correlated with sperm count and is the strongest predictor of idiopathic male infertility, demonstrating the lowest p-value and considerable effect size. This study suggests that environmental Cd exposure, potentially through mussel consumption, may contribute to idiopathic male infertility in Egypt by increasing oxidative stress, inducing epigenetic modifications, and impairing semen quality. These findings underscore the need for further research into the mechanisms underlying Cd-induced male infertility and the development of preventative strategies.
特发性男性不育症是一个严重的健康问题，其病因尚不清楚。镉（Cd）是一种广泛存在的环境污染物，已知会对男性生殖健康产生负面影响，可在贻贝中积累，贻贝是埃及常见的食物来源。本研究调查了生态镉暴露、氧化应激、MT1A 甲基化与亚历山大两个地区特发性男性不育症之间的关系。纳入了 33 名不育男性和 33 名健康对照者。在研究地点和参与者的血液和精液中测量了贻贝中的镉水平。评估了反映镉暴露及其影响的生物标志物。贻贝中的镉含量超过了监管限值。与对照组相比，不育男性的血液和精液中的镉水平显著升高，精液质量下降，氧化应激增加，MT1A 甲基化水平升高。MT1A 甲基化与精子计数呈负相关，是特发性男性不育症的最强预测因子，其 p 值和效应量均最小。本研究表明，环境镉暴露可能通过贻贝摄入导致埃及特发性男性不育症，其机制可能是通过增加氧化应激、诱导表观遗传修饰和损害精液质量。这些发现强调了需要进一步研究镉诱导男性不育症的机制，并制定预防策略。
