Sciorio Romualdo, Greco Pier Francesco, Greco Ermanno, Tramontano Luca, Elshaer Fathy M, Fleming Steven
Fertility Medicine and Gynaecological Endocrinology Unit, Department Woman-Mother-Child, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Villa Mafalda, Centre for Reproductive Medicine, Rome, Italy.
Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2025 May 21;16:1545593. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2025.1545593. eCollection 2025.
Semen quality is a key factor in male fertility, but defining normal reference values for semen parameters remain challenging. Over the past four decades, several authors have reported a noticeable decline in sperm parameters, raising concerns about male reproductive health. While the exact causes remain unclear, potential contributors include environmental pollution, endocrine disruptor chemicals (EDCs) and oxidative stress, with the latter becoming a growing concern. Environmental changes and increased exposure to EDCs, such as pesticides, herbicides, bisphenol A (BPA), phthalates, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and heavy metals, are believed to contribute significantly to the decline in sperm quality. These chemicals impact individuals from prenatal life through adulthood, potentially leading to long-term reproductive consequences. Overall, this review explores the relationship between environmental toxicants, including volatile organic compounds, EDCs, as well as oxidative stress and reduced male fertility. While a substantial body of research has found associations between these exposures and adverse fertility outcomes, some studies have reported no significant associations. The primary objective of this review is to provide a deeper understanding of the potential mechanisms between these environmental chemicals on testicular function and spermatogenesis. It also examines the broader evidence on the decline in sperm quality and explores its potential implications for overall fertility outcomes in humans. By doing so, the review will shed light on the broader public health implications of environmental pollutants and their impact on male reproductive health, emphasizing the need for further research in this critical area.
精液质量是男性生育能力的关键因素，但确定精液参数的正常参考值仍具有挑战性。在过去的四十年里，几位作者报告了精子参数明显下降，引发了对男性生殖健康的担忧。虽然确切原因尚不清楚，但潜在因素包括环境污染、内分泌干扰化学物质（EDCs）和氧化应激，后者日益受到关注。环境变化以及接触EDCs（如农药、除草剂、双酚A（BPA）、邻苯二甲酸盐、多氯联苯（PCBs）和重金属）的增加，被认为是精子质量下降的重要原因。这些化学物质从产前到成年都会影响个体，可能导致长期的生殖后果。总体而言，本综述探讨了环境毒物（包括挥发性有机化合物、EDCs）以及氧化应激与男性生育能力下降之间的关系。虽然大量研究发现这些暴露与不良生育结果之间存在关联，但一些研究报告称没有显著关联。本综述的主要目的是更深入地了解这些环境化学物质对睾丸功能和精子发生的潜在机制。它还研究了关于精子质量下降的更广泛证据，并探讨其对人类整体生育结果的潜在影响。通过这样做，本综述将阐明环境污染物对公众健康的更广泛影响及其对男性生殖健康的影响，强调在这一关键领域进行进一步研究的必要性。
