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Exposure to particulate air pollution is now linked to reduced sperm production in mice. This raises the question: does air pollution cause an increase in infertility?
Exposure to tiny particles of air pollution was linked to a reduction in sperm production by mice by the Endocrine Society.
Can air pollution cause infertility?
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that about 15% of the world's population has fertility problems, about 50% of which are due to male infertility.
The principal investigator of this study, Elaine Maria Frade Costa, MD, Ph.D., from the University of Sao Paulo in Sao Paulo, Brazil, said: "Infertility rates are increasing worldwide and pollution. "
Special case
The study studied the effect of particles on sperm production. Particulate matter is a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets that are in the air.
PM2.5 are fine particles that can be inhaled, the largest of which is still about 30 times smaller than the average human hair. PM2.5 is known to disrupt the endocrine system, involved in reproduction, including sperm production, in humans and animals.
Link PM2.5 exposure and reduced sperm production
PM2.5 exposure resulted in a change in gene levels related to testicular cell function. Exposure to PM2.5 after birth seemed to be the most harmful for testicular function.
Costa explained that these changes are epigenetic, which means that they are not caused by changes in the DNA sequence and can determine the proteins expressed by a gene.
This study is the first to demonstrate that the exposure to air pollution of a large city impedes sperm production through epigenetic modifications, primarily at postnatal exposure. Mr Costa added: "These results provide more evidence that governments need to implement public policies to control air pollution in big cities.
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