Association between sperm DNA integrity and seminal plasma antioxidant levels in health workers occupationally exposed to ionizing radiation

Journal Article · Tue Jul 15 04:00:00 EDT 2014 · Environmental Research

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/J.ENVRES.2014.04.023· OSTI ID:22447526

Kumar, Dayanidhi; Salian, Sujith Raj; Kalthur, Guruprasad; Uppangala, Shubhashree; Kumari, Sandhya ^[1]; Challapalli, Srinivas ^[2]; Chandraguthi, Shrinidhi Gururajarao ^[3]; Jain, Navya; Krishnamurthy, Hanumanthappa ^[4]; Kumar, Pratap ^[5]

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1. Division of Clinical Embryology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal University, Manipal 576104 (India)
2. Department of Radiotherapy, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore (India)
3. Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal (India)
4. National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore (India)
5. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal University, Manipal (India)

There is a paucity of data regarding the association between occupational radiation exposure and risk to human fertility. Recently, we provided the first evidence on altered sperm functional characteristics, DNA damage and hypermethylation in radiation health workers. However, there is no report elucidating the association between seminal plasma antioxidants and sperm chromatin integrity in occupationally exposed subjects. Here, we assessed the seminal plasma antioxidants and lipid peroxidation level in 83 men who were occupationally exposed to ionizing radiation and then correlated with the sperm chromatin integrity. Flow cytometry based sperm chromatin integrity assay revealed a significant decline in αt value in the exposed group in comparison to the non-exposed group (P<0.0001). Similarly, both total and reduced glutathione levels and total antioxidant capacity in the seminal plasma were significantly higher in exposed group than the non-exposed group (P<0.01, 0.001 and 0.0001, respectively). However, superoxide dismutase level and malondialdehyde level, which is an indicator of lipid peroxidation in the seminal plasma, did not differ significantly between two groups. The total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and GSH level exhibited a positive correlation with sperm DNA integrity in exposed subjects. To conclude, this study distinctly shows that altered sperm chromatin integrity in radiation health workers is associated with increase in seminal plasma antioxidant level. Further, the increased seminal plasma GSH and TAC could be an adaptive measure to tackle the oxidative stress to protect genetic and functional sperm deformities in radiation health workers. - Highlights: • Seminal plasma antioxidants were measured in men occupationally exposed to radiation. • Sperm chromatin integrity was significantly affected in the exposed group. • Glutathione and total antioxidant capacity was significantly higher in exposed group. • Sperm DNA damage in exposed subjects affected seminal plasma antioxidant level.

• OSTI ID: 22447526
• Journal Information: Environmental Research, Journal Name: Environmental Research Vol. 132; ISSN ENVRAL; ISSN 0013-9351
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES
ANTIOXIDANTS
CHROMATIN
DNA
DNA DAMAGES
FERTILITY
GLUTATHIONE
HAZARDS
INDICATORS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
LIPIDS
OXIDATION
PLASMA
SPERMATOZOA
STRESSES
SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE
TANTALUM CARBIDES
WHO