RESEARCH PAPER
Environmental exposure to zinc and copper influences sperm quality in fertile males
 
More details
Hide details
1
Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Department of Biochemistry, Zabrze, Poland
 
2
Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Zabrze, Poland
 
3
Department of Molecular Biology and Translational Research, Institute of Rural Health, Lublin, Poland
 
4
Department of Medical Biology and Translational Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Information Technology and Management, Rzeszów, Poland
 
 
Corresponding author
Aleksandra Kasperczyk   

Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Department of Biochemistry, Zabrze, Poland
 
 
Ann Agric Environ Med. 2016;23(1):138-143
 
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
Introduction:
The presented study was designed to investigate the associations between environmental exposure to zinc and copper and levels of the parameters of oxidative stress and antioxidant defence system and selected cytokines in the seminal plasma of fertile males.

Material and Methods:
The study population consisted of 65 fertile male volunteers from the southern region of Poland. Based on the medians of the levels of copper and zinc in seminal plasma, the study subjects were divided into 4 subgroups: groups with low and high environmental exposure to copper (Cu-L and Cu-H), groups with low and high environmental exposure to zinc (Zn-L and Zn-H).

Results:
Semen volume, pH, count, motility and morphology of sperm cells in the Cu-L and Cu-H groups did not differ significantly. In the Cu-H group, TOS was increased significantly by 243% when compared to the Cu-L group. Similarly, median of IL-10 level in the Cu-H group was increased by 144% compared to the Cu-L group. Spearman correlation showed positive correlations between the levels of copper and TOS and IL-10. Negative correlations between copper and G-CSF and GM-CSF were also shown. In the Zn-L group, the percentage of progressively motile sperm cells after 1 hour was significantly higher by 17%, compared to the Zn-L group. In the Zn-H group, levels of G-CSF and MCP-1 were significantly higher by 70% and 145%, respectively, compared to the Zn-L group. The level of IL-10 was significantly lower in the Zn-H group by 60%, compared to the Zn-L group. Spearman correlation indicated that there is a positive correlation between the level of zinc and thiol groups, G-CSF and GM-CSF. Negative correlations between zinc and TOS and IL-10 were also shown.

Conclusions:
Zinc enhances motility in fertile men. This beneficial effect of zinc may be due to zinc-induced reduction in the plasma oxidative stress intensity and modulations of the immune response. This study confirms the antagonistic relationship between zinc and copper.

 
REFERENCES (35)
1.
Yuyan L, Junqing W, Wei Y, Weijin Z, Ersheng G. Are serum zinc and copper levels related to semen quality. Fertil Steril. 2008; 89: 1008–1011.
 
2.
Wong WY, Flik G, Groenen PM, Swinkels DW, Thomas CM, Copius-Peereboom JH, et al. The impact of calcium, magnesium, zinc, and copper in blood and seminal plasma on semen parameters in men. Reprod Toxicol. 2001; 15(2): 131–136.
 
3.
Valsa J, Gusani PH, Skandhan KP, Modi HT. Copper in split and daily ejaculates. J Reprod Med. 1994; 39(9): 725–728.
 
4.
Aydemir B, Kiziler AR, Onaran I, Alici B, Ozkara H, Akyolcu MC. Impact of Cu and Fe concentrations on oxidative damage in male infertility. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2006; 112(3): 193–203.
 
5.
de Lamirande E, Gagnon C. A positive role for the superoxide anion in triggering hyperactivation and capacitation of human spermatozoa. Int J Androl. 1993; 16(1): 21–25.
 
6.
Atig F, Raffa M, Ali HB, Abdelhamid K, Saad A, Ajina M. Altered antioxidant status and increased lipid per-oxidation in seminal plasma of tunisian infertile men. Int J Biol Sci. 2012; 8(1): 139–149.
 
7.
Seshadri S, Bates M, Vince G, Jones DI. The role of cytokine expression in different subgroups of subfertile men. Am J Reprod Immunol. 2009; 62(5): 275–282.
 
8.
Robertson SA. Seminal plasma and male factor signaling in the female reproductive tract. Cell Tissue Res. 2005; 322: 43–52.
 
9.
Martínez P, Proverbio F, Camejo MI. Sperm lipid peroxidation and pro-inflammatory cytokines. Asian J Androl. 2007; 9(1): 102–107.
 
10.
Prasad AS. Clinical, immunological, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant roles of zinc. Exp Gerontol. 2008; 43(5): 370–377.
 
11.
WHO. Laboratory manual for the examination of human semen 2nd ed. Cambridge University Press, 2010.
 
12.
Babrown AA. Determination of copper and zinc in serum and urine by spectrometry use of slotted quartz tube and flame atomic absorption spectrometry analyst. 1984.
 
13.
Oyanagui Y. Reevaluation of assay methods and establishment of kit for superoxide dismutase activity. Anal Biochem. 1984; 142: 290–296.
 
14.
Koster JF, Biemond P, Swaak AJ: Intracellular and extracellular sulphydryl levels in rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis. 1986; 45: 44–46.
 
15.
Johansson LH, Borg LA. A spectrophotometric method for determination of catalase activity in small tissue samples. Anal Biochem. 1988; 174(1): 331–336.
 
16.
Richterich R. Chemia kliniczna. Warszawa PZWL, 1971.
 
17.
Habig WH, Jakoby WB. Assays for differentiation of glutathione S-transferases. Methods Enzymol 1981; 77: 398–405.
 
18.
Ohkawa H, Ohishi N, Yagi K. Assay for lipid peroxides in animal tissues by thiobarbituric acid reaction. Anal Biochem 1979; 95: 351–358.
 
19.
Erel O A new automated colorimetric method for measuring total oxidant status. Clin Bioch. 2005; 38: 1103–1111.
 
20.
Gavella M, Lipovac V. In vitro effect of zinc on oxidative changes in human semen. Andrologia. 1998 Nov; 30(6): 317–323.
 
21.
Colagar AH, Marzony ET, Chaichi MJ. Zinc levels in seminal plasma are associated with sperm quality in fertile and infertile men. Nutr Res. 2009; 29(2): 82–88. doi: 10.1016/j.nutres.2008.11.007.
 
22.
Huang YL, Tseng WC, Cheng SY, Lin TH. Trace elements and lipid peroxidation in human seminal plasma. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2000; 76(3): 207–215.
 
23.
Sørensen MB, Stoltenberg M, Danscher G, Ernst E. Chelation of intracellular zinc ions affects human sperm cell motility. Mol Hum Reprod. 1999; 5(4): 338–341.
 
24.
Fuse H, Kazama T, Ohta S, Fujiuchi Y. Relationship between zinc concentrations in seminal plasma and various sperm parameters. Int Urol Nephrol. 1999; 31(3): 401–408.
 
25.
Kumar N, Verma RP, Singh LP, Varshney VP, Dass RS. Effect of different levels and sources of zinc supplementation on quantitative and qualitative semen attributes and serum testosterone level in crossbred cattle (Bos indicus x Bos taurus) bulls. Reprod Nutr Dev. 2006; 46(6):663–675. Epub 2006 Dec 15.
 
26.
Jockenhövel F, Bals-Pratsch M, Bertram HP, Nieschlag E. Seminal lead and copper in fertile and infertile men. Andrologia. 1990; 22(6): 503–511.
 
27.
Sakhaee E, Emadi L, Abshenas J, Kheirandish R, Azari O, Amiri E. Evaluation of epididymal sperm quality following experimentally induced copper poisoning in male rats. Andrologia. 2012; 44 Suppl 1:110–6. doi: 10.1111/j.1439–0272.2010.01147.x. Epub 2011 Jul 6.
 
28.
Menditto A, Pietraforte D, Minetti M. Ascorbic acid in human seminal plasma is protected from iron-mediated oxidation, but is potentially exposed to copper-induced damage. Hum Reprod. 1997; 12(8): 1699–1705.
 
29.
Marzec-Wróblewska U, Kamiński P, Lakota P, Szymański M, Wasilow K, Ludwikowski G, et al. Zinc and iron concentration and SOD activity in human semen and seminal plasma. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2011; 143(1): 167–177.
 
30.
Türk S, Mändar R, Mahlapuu R, Viitak A, Punab M, Kullisaar T. Male infertility: Decreased levels of selenium, zinc and antioxidants. J Trace Elem Med Biol. 2013 Dec 31. pii: S0946–672X(13)00206-X. doi: 10.1016/j.jtemb.2013.12.005.
 
31.
Camejo MI, Abdala L, Vivas-Acevedo G, Lozano-Hernández R, Angeli-Greaves M, Greaves ED. Selenium, copper and zinc in seminal plasma of men with varicocele, relationship with seminal parameters. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2011; 143(3): 1247–1254.
 
32.
Maynard PV, Elstein M, Chandler JA. The effect of copper on the distribution of elements in human spermatozoa. J Reprod Fertil. 1975; 43(1): 41–48.
 
33.
Dobrakowski M, Zalejska-Fiolka J, Wielkoszyński T, Świętochowska E, Kasperczyk S. The effect of occupational exposure to lead on the non-enzymatic antioxidant system. Med Pr. 2014; 65(4): 443–51.
 
34.
Ota K, Jaiswal MK, Ramu S, Jeyendran R, Kwak-Kim J, Gilman-Sachs A, et al. Expression of a2 vacuolar ATPase in spermatozoa is associated with semen quality and chemokine-cytokine profiles in infertile men. PLoS One. 2013 Jul 30;8(7):e70470. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0070470. Print 2013.
 
35.
Rodríguez-Gil JE, Silvers G, Flores E, Jesús Palomo M, Ramírez A, Montserrat Rivera M, et al. Expression of the GM-CSF receptor in ovine spermatozoa: GM-CSF effect on sperm viability and motility of sperm subpopulations after the freezing-thawing process. Theriogenology. 2007; 67(8): 1359–1370.
 
eISSN:1898-2263
ISSN:1232-1966
Journals System - logo
Scroll to top