Fertility preservation in males with cancer of trends, region development, and efficacy in mainland China from 16 regions Chinese sperm banks.

PURPOSE: Male cancer survivors experience confusion about fertility following cancer treatment. The aims of this study were to evaluate survivors' semen quality in different tumor type groups in China and to analyze the current situation and challenges of male cancer patients with sperm cryopreservation. METHODS: This was a multicenter retrospective study of male patients with cancer who underwent sperm cryopreservation in 16 regions of the national sperm banks over an 11-year period from 2010 to 2020. RESULTS: The number of male cancer patients with sperm cryopreservation showed an overall upward trend. The development of male cancer fertility preservation (FP) in the eastern, central, and western regions of Chinese displayed imbalance. There are seven tumor types for sperm preservation in the top incidence ten tumor types, including lymphoma, leukemia, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, sarcoma, thyroid cancer, and brain tumor. Moreover, nasopharyngeal carcinoma is a high incidence rate in China, which is related to high sperm preservation rate, different from other countries. The most percentage of males receiving sperm cryopreservation in the testicular cancers (15-39 years old) of China in 2020 was 5.55%, 1.29% in the lymphoma, and 0.39% in the leukemia. According to the type of cancer, a statistically significant lower pre-sperm density, total sperm output, and post-sperm density was observed in testicular cancers. It is worth noting that the prevalence of azoospermia 22.2% in leukemia patients attribute to urgent treatment before sperm cryopreservation. Disposition of cryopreserved sperm categories included continued storage (47.2%), discarded (9%), death (0.9%), and use (3.7%). CONCLUSION: This study provides the first comprehensive national statistical census and review of fertility preservation in male cancer patients with respect to trends, prevalence, and cancer types. The development of male cancer fertility preservation in China is imbalanced and percentage of males receiving sperm cryopreservation in the adolescent and young adult cancers was low. Sixteen human sperm banks from China analyze current problems and challenges, and then prioritize steps toward the achievement of the FP strategy framework for Healthy China 2030.

Exposure to Fine Particulate Matter Constituents and Human Semen Quality Decline: A Multicenter Study.

Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM < 2.5 µm in diameter [PM2.5]) may accelerate human sperm quality decline, although research on this association is limited. Our objective was to investigate the relationship between exposure to the chemical constituents of PM2.5 air pollution and decreased sperm quality and to further explore the exposure-response relationship. We conducted a multicenter population-based cohort study including 78,952 semen samples from 33,234 donors at 6 provincial human sperm banks (covering central, northern, southern, eastern, and southwestern parts of China) between 2014 and 2020. Daily exposure to PM2.5 chemical composition was estimated using a deep learning model integrating a density ground-based measure network at a 1 km resolution. Linear mixed models with subject- and center-specific intercepts were used to quantify the harmful impacts of PM2.5 constituents on semen quality and explore their exposure-response relationships. Per interquartile range (IQR) increase in PM2.5 exposure levels during spermatogenesis was significantly associated with decreased sperm concentration, progressive motility, and total motility. For PM2.5 constituents, per IQR increment in Cl- (ß: -0.02, 95% CI: [-0.03, -0.00]) and NO3- (ß: -0.05, 95% CI: [-0.08, -0.02]) exposure was negatively associated with sperm count, while NH4+ (ß: -0.03, 95% CI: [-0.06, -0.00]) was significantly linked to decreased progressive motility. These results suggest that exposure to PM2.5 chemical constituents may adversely affect human sperm quality, highlighting the urgent need to reduce PM2.5 exposure.

Heat wave exposure and semen quality in sperm donation volunteers: A retrospective longitudinal study in south China.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have suggested an association between non-optimum ambient temperature and decreased semen quality. However, the effect of exposure to heat waves on semen quality remains unclear. METHODS: Volunteers who intended to donate sperm in Guangdong provincial human sperm bank enrolled. Heat waves were defined by temperature threshold and duration, with a total of 9 definitions were employed, specifying daily mean temperature exceeding the 85th, 90th, or 95th percentile for at least 2, 3, or 4 consecutive days. Residential exposure to heat waves during 0-90 days before ejaculation was evaluated using a validated gridded dataset on ambient temperature. Association and potential windows of susceptibility were evaluated and identified using linear mixed models and distributed lag non-linear models. RESULTS: A total of 2183 sperm donation volunteers underwent 8632 semen analyses from 2018 to 2019. Exposure to heat wave defined as daily mean temperature exceeding the 95th percentile for at least 4 consecutive days (P95-D4) was significantly associated with a 0.11 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.03, 0.18) ml, 3.36 (1.35, 5.38) × 106/ml, 16.93 (7.95, 25.91) × 106, and 2.11% (1.4%, 2.83%) reduction in semen volume, sperm concentration, total sperm number, and normal forms, respectively; whereas exposure to heat wave defined as P90-D4 was significantly associated with a 1.98% (1.47%, 2.48%) and 2.08% (1.57%, 2.58%) reduction in total motility and progressive motility, respectively. Sperm count and morphology were susceptible to heat wave exposure during the early stage of spermatogenesis, while sperm motility was susceptible to exposure during the late stage. CONCLUSION: Heat wave exposure was significantly associated with a reduction in semen quality. The windows of susceptibility during 0-90 days before ejaculation varied across sperm count, motility, and morphology. Our findings suggest that reducing heat wave exposure before ejaculation may benefit sperm donation volunteers and those attempting to conceive.

[Role of full-time nurses in reception of sperm donors in the sperm bank].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the necessity of reception of sperm donors by full-time nurses in the sperm bank by analyzing the efficiency of sperm donation before and after staffing Guangdong Sperm Bank (GSB) with full-time nurses. METHODS: We selected 9 712 qualified sperm donors in GSB from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2021 and compared the efficiency of sperm donation before and after staffing GSB with full-time nurses. RESULTS: After staffing GSB with full-time nurses, the proportion of qualified sperm donors screened from the quasi-qualified ones was dramatically increased from 66.2% (1 230/1 858) to 77.1% (3 252/4 218) (P < 0.01), that of HIV re-examinees after 6-month suspension from sperm donation increased from 84.6% (137/162) to 93.4% (599/641) (P < 0.01), and that of the candidate donors lost to follow-up during the screening period decreased from 23.2% (831/3 583) to 21.3% (1 308/6 129) (P = 0.034). CONCLUSION: After Guangdong Sperm Bank was staffed with full-time nurses for reception of sperm donors, the proportion of the candidate donors lost to follow-up was reduced and the efficiency of sperm donation was significantly improved. Individualized psychological intervention for the sperm donors by the nurses could dispel the worries of the donors and improve the compliance and efficiency of sperm donation.

Association of exposure to residential greenness with semen quality: A retrospective longitudinal study of sperm donation volunteers in Guangdong province, China.

BACKGROUND: Exposure to residential greenness has been associated with benefits on certain reproductive health outcomes. However, its potential benefits on semen quality remain unknown. OBJECTIVES: To quantitatively explore the association between exposure to residential greenness and semen quality. METHODS: We investigated 9142 sperm donation volunteers who underwent 38,682 semen examinations at Guangdong provincial human sperm bank in China during 2016-2019. Exposure to residential greenness was assessed using mean daily Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) at each subject's residential address with a 400 m buffer during 0-90 days before each semen collection. Multivariate linear mixed models and linear regression models were used to assess the association between exposure to residential greenness and semen quality. RESULTS: An interquartile range increase in exposure to residential greenness was significantly associated with a 0.034 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.005, 0.063) ml, 4.06 (95% CI: 0.76, 7.37) × 106, and 0.32% (95% CI: 0.22%, 0.41%) increase in semen volume, total sperm number, and normal forms, respectively; similar trends were observed across quartiles of exposure to residential greenness (all p-values for liner trend <0.05 except for semen volume). The association of greenness exposure with semen volume and total sperm number was stronger in subjects 18-25 years, while the association with normal forms was stronger in subjects 26 years or older. The association for sperm concentration, total sperm number, and normal forms were stronger in cool season, while the association for semen volume was stronger in warm season. CONCLUSION: We found that exposure to residential greenness was significantly associated with higher semen quality. Further studies are warranted to determine the causality of the association and its underlying mechanisms.

[Causes of failure in autologous sperm preservation in the human sperm bank and countermeasures].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the causes of failure in autologous sperm cryopreservation (ASCP) in the human sperm bank and propose some countermeasures to improve the success rate of ASCP and promote it in human sperm banks. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the reasons for and causes of failure in ASCP 1 156 males undergoing ASCP in the Human Sperm Bank of Guangdong Province from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2019. RESULTS: Of the 1 156 cases of ASCP, 857 (74.1%) succeeded and 299 (25.9%) failed, with a failure rate of 56.1% (96/171) in the microdissection testicular sperm extraction (micro-TESE) group, 29.9% (67/224) in the reproduction insurance group, 21.2% (27/100) in the non-tumor disease group and 17.2% (109/525) in the tumor group, with statistically significant difference between the four groups (χ2 = 109.926, P < 0.01). The causes of failed ASCP included failure to extract semen (14.0% ï¼»42/299ï¼½), failure to meet the standard of sperm cryopreservation (67.6% ï¼»202/299ï¼½), giving up ASCP for low semen quality (7.4% ï¼»22/299ï¼½), and giving up ASCP for some other reasons (11.0% ï¼»33/299ï¼½), including worry about the reliability of cryopreservation technology (6.0% ï¼»18/299ï¼½), suspicion about the complexity of the ASCP procedures (3.0% ï¼»9/299ï¼½) and expectation for fertility recovery after chemotherapy withdrawal (2.0% ï¼»6/299ï¼½). CONCLUSIONS: In view of different causes of failure in ASCP, human sperm banks can provide individualized cryopreservation schemes, including guidance with masturbation or the use of sperm extraction instrument in sperm extraction, strengthening sperm preservation-related education and the awareness of reproduction protection and earlier sperm preservation among cancer patients, promoting the cryopreservation of microsamples of motile sperm by microsample or single sperm freezing, and development of testis tissue cryopreservation to preserve the fertility of children with cancer.

Sperm quality and ambient air pollution exposure: A retrospective, cohort study in a Southern province of China.

BACKGROUND: Abnormal semen quality is one of the common causes of infertility. The relationship between exposure to air pollutants and semen quality is unclear. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the impact of ambient air pollutant exposures on semen quality. METHODS: We analyzed 3797 semen samples from Guangdong Human Sperm Bank between May 28, 2018 and March 31, 2019. The inverse distance weighted interpolation method was used to estimate the personal exposures to CO, SO2, NO2, O3, PM10 and PM2.5 during the entire period (0-90 lag days) and key periods (0-9, 10-14, 70-90 lag days) of sperm development. Linear mixed models were used to evaluate the exposure-response relationships between air pollutants and semen quality, including sperm concentration, sperm count and sperm motility, after adjusting for other covariates. The regression coefficients and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) associated with each interquartile range (IQR) increase in pollutant concentrations were estimated for each semen quality parameter. RESULTS: Overall, we observed a significant association of decreased sperm count with the exposure to PM10 (-0.2466; -0.4443, -0.0489) and PM2.5 (-0.2910; -0.5401, -0.0419). Among the sperm quality parameters assessed, sperm count was observed more frequently to be negatively associated with ambient air pollutants (CO, NO2, O3, PM10 and PM2.5), especially for the period during 10-14 lag days. In addition, motility decline was significantly associated with O3 in the late stage of sperm development. Sensitivity analyses for subgroup population yielded similar results. No significant association was found between all pollutants and sperm concentration (all P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that ambient air pollutants exposures during sperm development may have an adverse effect on semen quality, especially for sperm count and motility. The findings emphasize the potential to improve semen quality by reducing ambient air pollutant exposures, and the importance of taking into account the critical period of sperm development when protective measures are implemented.

[Characteristics of sperm donors and the eligibility rate of screening for sperm donation].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship of the characteristics of sperm donors with the results of screening and provide some reference for the screening of sperm donors. METHODS: We statistically analyzed the screening data about 12 362 sperm donors at the Guangdong Human Sperm Bank from January 2003 to June 2017 and the relationship of the eligibility rate of screening with the donors' age, education, occupation, marriage, and fatherhood. RESULTS: Of the 12 362 sperm donors, 3 968 (32.1%) met the standards of semen quality and 3 127 (25.3%) filled all the requirements of sperm donation. The eligibility rate of screening was 27.7% in the donors aged 20－24 years, 24.3% in those aged 25－29 years, 23.8% in those aged 30－34 years, and 17.5% in those aged =≥35 years (P < 0.01); 23.5% in the senior high school students, 24% in the junior college students, 25.9% in the undergraduates, and 30.3% in the postgraduates (P < 0.01); 29.3% in the students versus 22.9% in the others (P < 0.01), 41.5% in the married versus 20.7% in the unmarried (P < 0.01), and 45.6% in the fathers versus 20.9% in the childless husbands (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: A higher eligibility rate of screening was found among the sperm donors aged <35 years or with a bachelor's or higher degree, particularly among students.

Association of decreased spermatozoa omega-3 fatty acid levels and increased oxidative DNA damage with varicocele in infertile men: a case control study.

Varicocele is commonly associated with male infertility because it impairs normal sperm morphology and activity. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are important determinants of sperm cell structure and function, but their relationship with varicocele remains unclear. The aim of the present study was to investigate the PUFA composition in spermatozoa of infertile men with varicocele and to evaluate the potential relationship between PUFA and varicocele. This case control study recruited 92 infertile men with varicocele, 99 infertile men without varicocele and 95 fertile male control subjects. Semen morphology and activity parameters were assessed and seminal plasma 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) content was determined by ELISA. Sperm concentrations of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids were measured by gas chromatography. Infertile men with varicocele had lower concentrations of omega-3 PUFA, higher omega-6:omega-3 PUFA ratios and greater oxidative DNA damage in spermatozoa compared with infertile men without varicocele and normal subjects. The degree of varicocele and DNA damage was associated with decreased omega-3 PUFA concentrations and semen quality in infertile men with varicocele. The findings suggest that omega-3 PUFA deficiency could be implicated in varicocele-associated infertility, and highlight the need for intervention trials to test the usefulness of omega-3 supplementation in reducing sperm abnormalities in infertile men with varicocele.

Association between central obesity and semen quality: A cross-sectional study in 4513 Chinese sperm donation volunteers.

BACKGROUND: General obesity classified by body mass index has been linked to a reduction in semen quality; however, evidence on the adverse effect of central obesity on semen quality remains limited. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association between central obesity and semen quality. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 4513 sperm donation volunteers in Guangdong Provincial Human Sperm Bank during 2018-2021. Three central obesity indicators, including waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, and waist-to-height ratio, were measured using a multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis for each subject. Semen analysis was conducted according to the World Health Organization laboratory manual for the examination and processing of human semen 5th edition. Linear regression models and unconditional logistic regression models were used to quantify the association between central obesity and semen parameters. RESULTS: With adjustment for age, race, education level, marital status, fertility status, occupation, year of semen collection, abstinence period, ambient temperature, and relative humidity, central obesity defined as waist circumference ≥90 cm, waist-to-hip ratio ≥0.9, or waist-to-height ratio ≥0.5 was significantly associated with a 0.27 (95% confidence interval: 0.15, 0.38) mL, 14.47 (3.60, 25.34) × 106 , 7.06 (0.46, 13.76) × 106 , and 6.80 (0.42, 13.18) × 106 reduction in semen volume, total sperm number, total motile sperm number, and total progressive motile sperm number, respectively, and a 53% (10%, 112%) increase in odds of below the World Health Organization 2010 reference value for semen volume. These associations did not significantly vary across age. Similar results were observed for central obesity defined using each of the three indicators, except that subjects with a waist circumference ≥90 cm had a slightly higher total motility (estimated change: 1.30%; 95% confidence interval: 0.27%, 2.34%) and progressive motility (estimated change: 1.27%; 95% confidence interval: 0.23%, 2.31%). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: We found that central obesity was significantly associated with a reduction in semen volume, total sperm number, total motile sperm number, and total progressive motile sperm number. Future studies are warranted to confirm our results in other regions and populations.

Adverse effects of bisphenol A and its analogues on male fertility: An epigenetic perspective.

In recent years, there has been growing concern about the adverse effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) on male fertility. Epigenetic modification is critical for male germline development, and has been suggested as a potential mechanism for impaired fertility induced by EDCs. Bisphenol A (BPA) has been recognized as a typical EDC. BPA and its analogues, which are still widely used in various consumer products, have garnered increasing attention due to their reproductive toxicity and the potential to induce epigenetic alteration. This literature review provides an overview of studies investigating the adverse effects of bisphenol exposures on epigenetic modifications and male fertility. Existing studies provide evidence that exposure to bisphenols can lead to adverse effects on male fertility, including declined semen quality, altered reproductive hormone levels, and adverse reproductive outcomes. Epigenetic patterns, including DNA methylation, histone modification, and non-coding RNA expression, can be altered by bisphenol exposures. Transgenerational effects, which influence the fertility and epigenetic patterns of unexposed generations, have also been identified. However, the magnitude and direction of certain outcomes varied across different studies. Investigations into the dynamics of histopathological and epigenetic alterations associated with bisphenol exposures during developmental stages can enhance the understanding of the epigenetic effects of bisphenols, the implication of epigenetic alteration on male fertility, and the health of successive generation.

Triphenylphosphine-bonded coumaranone dyes realize dual color imaging of mitochondria and nucleoli.

Probing intracellular organelles with fluorescent dyes offers opportunities to understand the structures and functions of these cellular compartments, which is attracting increasing interests. Normally, the design principle varies for different organelle targets as they possess distinct structural and functional profiles against each other. Therefore, developing a probe with dual intracellular targets is of great challenge. In this work, a new sort of donor-π-bridge-acceptor (D-π-A) type coumaranone dyes (CMO-1/2/3/4) have been prepared. Four fluorescent probes (TPP@CMO-1/2/3/4) were then synthesized by linking these coumaranone dyes with an amphiphilic cation triphenylphosphonium (TPP). Interestingly, both TPP@CMO-1 and TPP@CMO-2 exhibited dual color emission upon targeting to two different organelles, respectively. The green emission is well localized in mitochondria, while, the red emission realizes nucleoli imaging. RNA is the target of TPP@CMOs, which was confirmed by spectroscopic analysis and computational calculation. More importantly, the number and morphology changes of nucleoli under drug stress have been successfully evaluated using TPP@CMO-1.

Effects of temperature anomaly on sperm quality: A multi-center study of 33,234 men.

Backgrounds: Global fertility rates continue to decline and sperm quality is a prime factor affecting male fertility. Both extreme cold and heat have been demonstrated to be associated with decreased sperm quality, but no epidemiological studies have considered human adaptation to long-term temperature. Our aim was to conduct a multi-center retrospective cohort study to investigate exposure-response relationship between temperature anomaly (TA) that deviate from long-term climate patterns and sperm quality. Methods: A total of 78,952 semen samples measured in 33,234 donors from 6 provincial human sperm banks in China were collected. This study considered heat and cold acclimatization to prolonged exposure in humans and explored the exposure-response relationship between TAs and sperm quality parameters (sperm concentrations, sperm count, progressive motility, progressive sperm count, total motility and total motile sperm count) during the hot and cold seasons, respectively. Linear mixed models and generalized linear models were built separately for specific centers to pool in a meta-analysis to obtain the pooled effect of TA on sperm quality, considering repeated measurements data structure and spatial heterogeneity. Results: We identified an inverted U-shaped exposure-response relationship between TA and sperm quality during the hot season. Significant negative effect of anomalous cold on sperm quality during the hot season was found after additional adjustment for Body mass index, marital status and childbearing history. The heat-related TA in hot season was significantly negatively associated with sperm concentration, progressive sperm count and total motile sperm count (all P-values<0.05). After adjusting the relative humidity, the cold-related TA in cold season was negatively associated with the sperm total motility (P-values<0.05). Conclusions: Our results suggest both heat-related and cold-related TAs are associated with decreased sperm quality. The findings highlight the importance of reducing exposure to anomalous temperatures to protect male fertility.

Beneficial effect of residential greenness on sperm quality and the role of air pollution: A multicenter population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Poor sperm quality is a major cause of male infertility. However, evidence remains scarce on how greenness affects male sperm quality. OBJECTIVES: To assess the associations of residential greenness with male sperm quality and the modification effect of air pollution exposure on the relationship. METHODS: A total of 78,742 samples from 33,184 sperm donors from 6 regions across China during 2014-2020 were included and analyzed. Individual residential greenness exposures of study subjects were estimated using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) during the entire (0-90 lag days) and two key stages (0-37, and 34-77 lag days) of sperm development. Contemporaneous personal exposure levels to air pollutants were estimated using a spatio-temporal deep learning method. Linear mixed models were employed to assess the impact of greenspace in relation to sperm quality. The modification effect of air pollution on the greenspace-sperm quality relationship was also estimated. RESULTS: Per IQR increment in NDVI exposure throughout spermatogenesis were statistically associated with increasing sperm count by 0.0122 (95 % CI: 0.0007, 0.0237), progressive motility by 0.0162 (95 % CI: 0.0045, 0.0280), and total motility by 0.0147 (95 % CI: 0.0014, 0.0281), respectively. Similar results were observed when the model added air pollutants (PM1, PM2.5 or O3) for adjustment. Additionally, specific air pollutants, including PM1, PM2.5, and O3, were found to modify this association. Notably, the protective effects of greenness exposure were more pronounced at higher concentrations of PM1 and PM2.5 and lower concentrations of O3 (all Pinteraction < 0.05). Statistically significant positive effects of NDVI were observed on sperm motility in early spermatogenesis and sperm count in late spermatogenesis. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to residential greenness may have beneficial effects on sperm quality and air pollution modifies their relationship. These findings highlight the importance of adopting adaptable urban greenspace planning and policies to safeguard male fertility against environmental factors.

Fertility preservation in male adolescents with cancer (2011-2020): A retrospective study in China.

BACKGROUND: According to the studies, more than 80% of pediatric patients with cancer can achieve a survival rate greater than 5 years; however, long-term chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy may seriously affect their reproductive ability. Fertility preservation in adolescents with cancer in China was initiated late, and related research is lacking. Analyze data to understand the current situation and implement measures to improve current practices. METHODS: From 2011 to 2020, data on 275 male adolescents with cancer whose age ranged from 0 to 19 years old were collected from 16 human sperm banks for this retrospective study. Methods include comparing the basic situation of male adolescents with cancer, the distribution of cancer types, and semen quality to analyze the status of fertility preservation. RESULTS: The mean age was 17.39 ± 1.46 years, with 13 cases (4.7%) aged 13-14 years and 262 cases (95.3%) aged 15-19 years. Basic diagnoses included leukemia (55 patients), lymphomas (76), germ cell and gonadal tumors (65), epithelial tumors (37), soft tissue sarcomas (14), osteosarcoma (7), brain tumors (5), and other cancers (16). There are differences in tumor types in different age stages and regions. The tumor type often affects semen quality, while age affects semen volume. Significant differences were found in sperm concentration and progressive motility before and after treatment (p < 0.001). Moreover, 90.5% of patients had sperm in their semen and sperm were frozen successfully in 244 patients (88.7%). CONCLUSIONS: The aim of this study is to raise awareness of fertility preservation in male adolescents with cancer, to advocate for fertility preservation prior to gonadotoxic therapy or other procedures that may impair future fertility, and to improve the fertility status of future patients.

[Semen quality of normal fertile men].

OBJECTIVE: To study the semen quality of confirmed fertile men with the time to pregnancy (TTP) of 12 months or less, and analyze the correlation of semen parameters with TTP. METHODS: We recruited 1 152 men aged 18 -50 years and with TTP of 12 months. We used questionnaire investigation, physical examination and semen analysis, calculated the normal reference ranges of semen parameters, and analyzed the effects of TTP and other biological characteristics on semen quality. RESULTS: Seminal examinations showed that the semen volume was 1.5 ml, sperm concentration 17 million per ml, total sperm number 39 million per ejaculate, total sperm motility 41%, progressive sperm motility 33%, normal sperm morphology 5.0%, sperm vitality 53%, and total number of progressively motile sperm 17 million per ejaculate in the 1 152 subjects. In comparison, the total number of progressively motile sperm was significantly smaller in those aged > or = 35 years (P < 0.01), morphologically normal sperm were markedly less in those with BMI > 25.0 (P < 0.01), and sperm concentration, total number of sperm, morphologically normal sperm rate and total number of progressively motile sperm were remarkably lower in those with BMI < 18. 5 (P < 0.05). Cigarette smoking significantly reduced the sperm volume (P < 0.01), and drinking (> 10 g per week) decreased the sperm volume and the total numbers of sperm, morphologically normal sperm and progressively motile perm (P < 0.05). TTP was negatively correlated with sperm concentration, total number of sperm and total number of progressively motile sperm (P < 0.01). The subjects with sexual abstinence of 5 -7 days showed markedly higher sperm concentration, total number of sperm and total number of progressively motile sperm than others (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: In normal fertile men, the fifth centile of semen parameters is close to the WHO normal reference range, TTP is negatively correlated with semen quality, and age, BMI and lifestyle may affect some of the semen parameters.

A retrospective study on sperm cryopreservation in 1034 patients diagnosed with cancer in southern China.

Sperm cryopreservation is an effective fertility preservation method for cancer patients before anticancer treatments. However, there are little data on fertility preservation in large cohorts of patients with cancer in southern China. This retrospective cross-sectional study aimed to assess the fertility preservation status of 1034 newly diagnosed male patients with cancer in the Human Sperm Bank of Guangdong Province in southern China (Guangzhou, China). Of these, 302 patients had reproductive system tumors, mostly testicular cancers (99.0%), and 732 had other tumors, including lymphoma (33.1%), gastrointestinal cancer (16.3%), nasopharyngeal carcinoma (15.7%), leukemia (7.7%), sarcoma (3.6%), and others (23.6%). Patients with reproductive system tumors had lower sperm concentration and prefreezing and post-thawing progressive motility than those with non-reproductive system tumors (all P < 0.001). Differences in sperm concentration, progressive motility, and normal morphology rate were observed between patients with and without anticancer surgery before sperm cryopreservation (all P < 0.05). As of April 30, 2022, 63 patients used their cryopreserved sperm for assisted reproductive technology treatments and 39 pregnancies were achieved. This study provides valuable data on the fertility preservation status in newly diagnosed cancer patients in southern China, demonstrating that patients with reproductive system tumors had poor sperm quality for their pretreatment fertility preservation.

Association between exposure to ambient air pollution and semen quality: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Accumulating evidence has linked exposure to ambient air pollution to a reduction in semen quality; however, the exposure-response associations are yet to be synthesized. OBJECTIVE: To summarize the exposure-response associations between air pollution and semen quality. METHODS: We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science for relevant studies published before April 20, 2022. Studies investigating the exposure-response association of PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2, CO, and O3 with semen quality written in English were included. Semen quality parameters included semen volume, sperm concentration, total sperm number, total motility, progressive motility, and normal forms. Random-effects and fixed-effects models were performed to synthesize associations in the meta-analysis. RESULTS: The search returned 850 studies, 11 of which were eligible for meta-analysis. Each 10 µg/m3 increase of exposure to PM10 and SO2 was respectively associated with a 2.18 % (95 % confidence interval [CI]: 0.10 %-4.21 %) and 8.61 % (1.00 %-15.63 %) reduction in sperm concentration, and a 2.76 % (0.10 %-5.35 %) and 9.52 % (5.82 %-13.93 %) reduction in total sperm number. Each 10 µg/m3 increase of exposure to PM2.5 and PM10 was respectively associated with a 1.06 % (95 % CI: 0.31 %-1.82 %) and 0.75 % (0.43 %-1.08 %) reduction in total motility, and a 0.55 % (0.09 %-1.01 %) and 0.31 % (0.06 %-0.56 %) reduction in progressive motility. No association was observed for PM2.5 or PM10 with semen volume; PM2.5, NO2, CO, or O3 with sperm concentration or total sperm number; and gaseous air pollutants with total or progressive motility. The association between air pollution and normal forms was not summarized due to insufficient number of studies. No significant publication bias was detected. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to ambient PM2.5, PM10, and SO2 was inversely associated with sperm concentration, total sperm number, total motility, and/or progressive motility. Our findings add to the evidence that air pollution may lead to adverse effects on male reproductive system and suggest that reducing exposure to air pollution may help maintain better semen quality.

Association between ambient temperature and semen quality among sperm donation volunteers in South China.

BACKGROUND: Potential adverse effects of non-optimum temperatures on human semen quality have drawn much concern worldwide; however, the exposure-response relationship remains less understood. OBJECTIVES: To quantitatively assess the association between exposure to ambient temperature and semen quality in South China, and to identify potential critical exposure windows. METHODS: We conducted a longitudinal study to investigate 11,050 volunteers who lived in Guangdong province, China and intended to donate sperm in the Guangdong provincial human sperm bank during 2016-2021. Exposure to ambient temperature during 0-90 days before semen collection was assessed by extracting daily temperatures from a validated grid dataset at each subject's residential address. Linear mixed models and linear regression models were used to perform exposure-response analyses. RESULTS: During the study period, the 11,050 subjects underwent 44,564 semen analyses. Each 5 °C increase of lag 0-90 day exposure to ambient temperature was approximately linearly associated with a 3.11 (95 % confidence interval [CI]: 2.08, 4.14) × 106/ml, 9.31 (4.83, 13.80) × 106, 1.27 % (0.91 %, 1.62 %), 8.20 (5.33, 11.08) × 106, 1.37 % (1.01 %, 1.74 %), 8.29 (5.52, 11.06) × 106, 0.67 % (0.28 %, 1.05 %), and 4.50 (2.20, 6.80) × 106 reduction in sperm concentration, total sperm number, total motility, total motile sperm number, progressive motility, total progressive sperm number, normal forms, and total normal form sperm number, respectively (all p < 0.001), which was not significantly modified by age (all p for effect modification > 0.05). We identified a critical exposure period of 10-14 days before semen collection for sperm motility, and 70-90 days before semen collection for sperm count and morphology. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides consistent evidence that higher ambient temperature was significantly associated with a reduction in semen quality in South China. The findings highlight the needs to reduce high temperature exposures during 3 months before ejaculation to maintain better semen quality.

Sperm quality decline associated with gaseous pollutant exposure: Evidence from a large cohort multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: Poor sperm quality is a prevalent cause of male infertility, and the association between gaseous ambient air pollutants exposure and semen quality remains unclear. OBJECTIVES: To examine the relationship between gaseous air pollution exposure with semen quality in a large-scale and multi-center study. METHODS: We analyzed 78,952 samples corresponding to 33,234 study subjects from 2014 to 2020. The high-resolution grid pollution dataset was used to estimate personal exposures to CO, SO2, NO2 and O3 across entire stage of semen formation and three crucial stages. The linear mixed models were performed to evaluate the relationships. RESULTS: The results showed that sperm count was inversely related to SO2 exposure (-0.0070, -0.0128 to -0.0011). Decreased sperm concentration was associated with SO2 (-0.0083, -0.0142 to -0.0024), NO2 (-0.0162, -0.0320 to -0.0005) and O3 (-0.0306, -0.0480 to -0.0133) during 0-90 lag days, respectively. Additionally, we observed significant decline of PR and total motility with SO2 exposure. Similar trends were observed for SO2 and CO exposure during 3 key periods. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that exposure to gaseous air pollutants may have negative impacts on sperm quality. These findings highlight the importance that critical periods of sperm development should be considered when implementing protective measures.