Post-Chornobyl remote radiation effects on human sperm and seminal plasma characteristics.

AIM: The research was aimed on analysis of the remote consequences of Chornobyl accident on the reproductive function of men adult residing in Ukraine. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 232 male volunteers with mean age of 34 years (range 20-47) from 5 different regions of Ukraine (Zhytomyr, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kyiv, Poltava, and Kyiv city) were enrolled in cross-sectional studies of long term radiation effects on seminal plasma and sperm. All manipulations, analysis and classification of ejaculates were done accordingly to WHO recommendations. The content of neutral α-glucosidase, fructose, citric acid in the seminal plasma was determined by spectrophotometry, L-carnitine - by high performance liquid chromatography, zinc - by atomic absorption spectroscopy. RESULTS: In the men residing in the regions heavily contaminated with radioonuclides, the decreased sperm quality with concurrent asthenozoospermia, oligozoospermia, teratozoospermia, asthenoteratozoospermia, oligoasthenoteratozoospermia and oligoteratozoospermia was revealed. Moreover, the concomitant shifts in seminal plasma content of neutral α-glucosidase, fructose, citric acid, L-carnitine and zinc were detected. CONCLUSION: The study has revealed the ample sperm and semen abnormalities amongst the inhabitants of radiation polluted territories that should have to be a subject of careful research in forthcoming years. This article is a part of a Special Issue entitled "The Chornobyl Nuclear Accident: Thirty Years After".

Variation of rabbit sperm physiologic parameters after the X-ray exposure.

OBJECTIVE: To study the impact of X-irradiation on the morpho-functional characteristics of rabbit spermatozoa and the contents of fructose, L-carnitine, α-tocopherol, ascorbate and citrate in the animal sperm. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The total body irradiation of rabbits (Soviet Shinchilla) was performed at the RUM-17 device in the dose range of 1.0-7.0 Gy with 2.8·10-3 Gy/sec intensity. The animal sperm was collected by the artificial vagina and then separated on seminal plasma and spermatozoa through centrifugation. Sperm concentration, motility, morphology and linear velocity were identified using the "MBI-6" light microscope. The quantitative determination of ascorbate, α-tocopherol and L-carnitine in seminal plasma was made on the "Agilent 1200" liquid chromatograph, while the concentration of fructose and citrate was measured on a spectrophotometer. RESULTS: The X-ray irradiation was shown to cause a dose-dependent suppressing effect on the prostate, seminal vesicles and epididymices expresed through the decreased content of fructose, citrate, L-carnitine, α-tocopherol and ascorbate in a rabbit sperm. Simultaneously the exacerbation of morphologic anomalies (damage of acrosomes, heads and tails) in spermatozoa along with spermatozoid motility and linear velocity decrease were elucidated. CONCLUSION: The run-time pattern of morpho-functional changes in spermatozoa together with component content of rabbit sperm in response to the total body irradiation was studied. Consequently the dose dependent raise of morphologic anomalies (damage of acrosomes, heads and tails) in spermatozoa and the slowing of spermatozoid linear velocity was found out. The sperm capacity to fulfill the post-radiation recovery was proven up. The effectiveness of the latter was shown to be dependent upon the radiation dose absorbed and the duration of post-irradiation period.