Impact of heavy metals on human male fertility—an overview
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Authors
López-Botella, Andrea
Velasco, Irene
Acién, Maribel
Sáez-Espinosa, Paula
Todolí-Torró, José-Luis
Sánchez-Romero, Raquel
Gómez-Torres, María José
Issue Date
2021-09-15
Type
Article
Language
en_US
Keywords
Endocrine Disrupting Compounds , Environmental Exposure , Heavy Metals , Human Sperm , Male Fertility , Occupational Exposure
Alternative Title
Abstract
Heavy metals are endocrine disruptors which interfere with processes mediated by endogenous hormones of the organism, negatively affecting endocrine functions. Some studies have correlated heavy metal exposure with male infertility. However, the number of studies conducted on humans are limited. Therefore, the aim of this study is to summarize the current knowledge on how heavy metals influence human male fertility. Hence, three distinct databases were consulted—PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science—using single keywords and combinations of them. The total number of identified articles was 636. Nevertheless, by using the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 144 articles were finally included in this work. Results display that the development of adequate instruments for heavy metal assessment may play an important function in human male fertility diagnosis and treatment. Furthermore, clinical trials could be useful to confirm the role of heavy metals in human male fertility diagnosis. Overall, further research is required to fully understand the molecular and cellular basis of the influence of environmental and occupational exposure to heavy metals on human male infertility and reproductive outcomes.
Description
Citation
López-Botella, A., Velasco, I., Acién, M., Sáez-Espinosa, P., Todolí-Torró, J. L., Sánchez-Romero, R., & Gómez-Torres, M. J. (2021). Impact of Heavy Metals on Human Male Fertility-An Overview. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland), 10(9), 1473. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox10091473
Publisher
Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)