常见环境污染物对精子DNA甲基化的影响

Effects of common environmental pollutants on sperm DNA methylation

  • 摘要: 不孕不育症是影响全球数百万夫妇常见的生殖障碍疾病,据估计由男性因素引起的不孕症约占病例的30%~50%,并且有研究发现随着时间的增加,男性精子的浓度逐渐减少,这种趋势提示了男性生育能力的重要性。导致男性生育能力下降的因素有很多,其中环境因素受到了各界的广泛关注,这可能是因为男性成年后,精原干细胞会持续不断地产生精子,但精原干细胞存在于血睾丸屏障之外,这使得其对空气污染、烟草烟雾、辐射和重金属等环境具有很高的敏感性。据研究暴露于这些不良环境不仅会引起生殖细胞氧化应激、DNA损伤等,还会导致精子DNA发生异常的表观遗传修饰,从而引发一系列疾病。本文概述了精子发生过程中暴露于环境污染物而引起的DNA异常甲基化改变以及此变化如何影响精子的数量、质量和功能。

     

    Abstract: Infertility is a common reproductive disorder affecting millions of couples worldwide. It is estimated that male factors account for about 30%-50% of infertility cases, and some studies have found that the concentration of male sperm gradually decreases over time, a trend that suggests the importance of male fertility. Many factors contribute to the decline of male fertility, among which environmental factors have received widespread attention. After reaching adulthood, spermatogonial stem cells will continue to produce sperm, but these cells exist outside the blood testicular barrier, which makes them highly sensitive to environmental conditions such as air pollution, tobacco smoke, radiation, and heavy metals. It is reported that exposure to these adverse environmental factors not only causes oxidative stress and DNA damage to germ cells, but also leads to abnormal epigenetic modification of sperm DNA, thereby causing a series of diseases. This article reviewed the abnormal methylation changes in DNA associated with exposure to environmental pollutants during spermatogenesis and how these changes affect the quantity, quality, and function of spermatozoa.

     

/

返回文章
返回