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The Influence of Environmental Contaminants and Lifestyle on Testicular Damage and Male Fertility

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Developmental and Reproductive Toxicology

Part of the book series: Methods in Pharmacology and Toxicology ((MIPT))

Abstract

Environmental contaminants and lifestyle play a major role in influencing human fertility. Most substances toxic to male fertility target functions of specific testicular cells or act at various levels of the hypothalamo-hypophyseal-testicular axis. The bio-accumulation of toxic compounds is often exacerbated by lifestyle choices and workplace environment. Inadvertently this impairs spermatogenesis, fertility, and survival of the offspring by affecting the genetic constitution of the spermatozoa. Such changes can be transmitted to future generations and may affect their fertility and health. Testicular insult can be assessed by sperm functional assays and by measuring biomarkers in tissues and body fluids including spermatozoa. However, histopathology remains the standard and is generally used to confirm the results of these other assays. The need of sensitive, reliable, robust, and easily measured biomarkers that are able to detect testicular injury before it becomes a chronic and irreversible effect is evident. The noninvasive approach of identifying sperm molecular signatures as biomarkers is promising and may emerge as a valuable diagnostic tool in the near future.

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Acknowledgements

We would also like to thank many colleagues who criticaly reviewed this manuscript. apologize to others in the field that for space limitations we could not directly reference their contributions to the field.

Funding

S.S. is supported by a Cutting-edge Research Enhancement and Scientific Training Award, Department of Biotechnology, Government of India. Support from the Charlotte B. Failing Professorship to SAK is gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, C.S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA

    Sellappan Selvaraju, Meritxell Jodar & Stephen A. Krawetz

  2. National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Bangalore, 560030, India

    Sellappan Selvaraju

Authors
  1. Sellappan Selvaraju
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  2. Meritxell Jodar
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  3. Stephen A. Krawetz
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Stephen A. Krawetz .

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  1. MPI Research, Mattawan, Michigan, USA

    Ali S. Faqi

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Selvaraju, S., Jodar, M., Krawetz, S.A. (2014). The Influence of Environmental Contaminants and Lifestyle on Testicular Damage and Male Fertility. In: Faqi, A. (eds) Developmental and Reproductive Toxicology. Methods in Pharmacology and Toxicology. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/7653_2014_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/7653_2014_13

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  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-7206-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-7208-1

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