Saturday, January 30, 2010

Sperm DNA damage

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) can interfere with hormone activities and are suspected as endocrine disrupters involved in disorders, e.g. reproductive disorders.We investigated the possible relation between the actual integrated serum xenoestrogenic, xenoandrogenic and aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) activities, and the sperm DNA damage and sperm apoptotic markers of 262 adult males (54 Inuits from Greenland, 69 from Warsaw (Poland), 81 from Sweden, and 58 from Kharkiv (Ukraine)) exposed to different levels of POPs. Xenobiotic-induced receptor activities were determined by receptor-mediated luciferase reporter gene expression. Sperm DNA damage was measured using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-driven dUTP nick labeling assay (TUNEL) and pro- (Fas) and anti-apoptotic (Bcl-xL) markers were determined by immune methods. Different features of xenobiotic-induced receptor activity in serum and sperm DNA fragmentation and apoptoticmarkers existed between the Inuits and the European Caucasians. Negative correlations between xenobiotic-induced receptor activities and DNA damage were found for Inuits having relatively lower xenoestrogenic, lower dioxin-like activity, and lower sperm DNA damage, but higher xenoandrogenic activity. In contrast, in the European groups, xenobiotic-induced receptor activities were found to be positively correlated with the DNA damage. Further research must elucidate whether altered receptor activities in concerted action with genetic and/or nutrient factors may have protecting effect on
sperm DNA damage of the Inuit population.

Correspondence should be addressed to E C Bonefeld-Jorgensen; ebj@mil.au.dk
DOI: 10.1530/REP-06-0195
Copyright © 2007 Society for Reproduction and Fertility Relation between serum xenobiotic-induced receptor activities and sperm DNA damage and sperm apoptotic
markers in European and Inuit populations Manhai Long, Alessandra Stronati1, Davide Bizzaro1, Tanja Krüger, Gian-CarloManicardi2, Philip S Hjelmborg, Marcello Spanò3, Alexander Giwercman4, Gunnar Toft5, Jens Peter Bonde5 and Eva C Bonefeld-Jorgensen
Unit of Cellular and Molecular Toxicology (CMT), Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, Institute of Public Health, University of Aarhus, Vennelyst Boulevard 6, Build 1260, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark, 1 Laboratory of Applied and Molecular Genetics, Institute of Biology and Genetics,Marche Polytechnic University, Ancona, Italy, 2 Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy, 3 Section of Toxicology and Biomedical Sciences, BIOTEC-MED, ENEA Casaccia, 00060 Rome, Italy, 4 Fertility Centre, Malmö
University Hospital, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden and 5 Department of Occupational Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark

2 comments:

  1. We've heard about sperm damage since the 80's. If a veteran is trying to link his exposure to Agent Orange to his child's birth defect, he can have his doctor test his sperm for deformities. We did this back in the mid-80's and our family doctor did the test. It showed deformed sperm and very low sperm count. Back then that didn't mean anything to the VA, as they were not recognizing any link to our children. With the new regulations about AO that may be enough to prove as a link to a child with a birth defect. Please let veterans know that they can be tested like this by their own family doctor and it may help their case. Most of our children are in their 30's now and we have had to pay for all the medical bills and special needs equipment ourselves. Our daughter had about 40 doctors, nurses, therapists of all kinds before she even started kindergarten. Several surgeries and years of therapy later, tons of special shoes, leg braces, custom wrist splints later, she has received not one dime in help. We've had to do it all. She's now a happy, independent woman and we are very, very proud of her. But we sure could have used some help along the way. And we hope other younger vets with problems will receive the help they need if their children are effected in any way because of their service to our country.

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  2. Has anyone heard of Agent Orange actually altering DNA so that it would contradict a DNA finding of paternity?

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