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A Preliminary Study about the Potential Effects of Heavy Metals on the Human Male Reproductive Parameters in HIV-Infected Population in China

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Abstract

Due to the inconsistent effects of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) on the human male reproduction in previous studies and the impacts of environmental exposures, such as heavy metals, on male reproduction receiving little attention in HIV-infected population, the aim of present study was to investigate whether heavy metals have potential effects on reproductive parameters in HIV-infected men. The current study assessed the associations between semen quality or serum hormone and concentration of the three heavy metal toxicants (lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and zinc (Zn)) in seminal, urine, and serum, and 50 HIV-infected men were recruited in the present study. Concentrations of Pb, Cd, and Zn were measured in three fluids by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Semen analyses were performed according to World Health Organization criteria. Serum samples were analyzed for follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, and testosterone. HIV RNA viral load was determined by HIV virus loads kit. Spearman’s rank correlations were used for correlation analyses. The results showed that the concentrations of Pb, Cd, and Zn were significantly correlated with semen quality and serum hormone. HIV-1 virus loads were significantly associated with increased seminal Pb. However, HIV-1 virus loads were not statistically associated with semen quality and serum hormone. Our findings suggested that environmental heavy metals had potential effects on reproductive parameters in HIV-infected men in China.

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Abbreviations

HIV:

Human immunodeficiency virus

FSH:

Follicle-stimulating hormone

SE:

Standard error

LH:

Luteotropic hormone

AIDS:

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

Cd:

Cadmium

Pb:

Lead

Zn:

Zinc

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Acknowledgements

We thank all the people who helped us for the present study.

This study was supported by the grant from the Natural Science Foundation of China (grant no: 81402656), Chongqing Municipal Science and Technology Commission Fundamental Research funded project (grant nos: 2016cstc-jbky-1606, cstc2014jcyjA10094, 2014cstc-jbky-01703, and CSTC-2009CA 5001).

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  1. Renyan Li and Letian Zhao contributed equally to this paper

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chongqing institute of Population and Family Planning, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Reproductive Health, Chongqing, 400020, China

    Renyan Li, Letian Zhao, Lianbing Li, Zhiwei Hou, Danyan Zhang, Ling Wan, Li Wei, Yuyou Yang, Jing Lv, Mingfu Ma & Yijian Zhu

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  1. Renyan Li
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  2. Letian Zhao
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  3. Lianbing Li
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Correspondence to Mingfu Ma or Yijian Zhu.

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Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper. The authors declared that they have no financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that can inappropriately influence their work. There is no professional or other personal interest of any nature or kind in any product, service, and/or company.

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Li, R., Zhao, L., Li, L. et al. A Preliminary Study about the Potential Effects of Heavy Metals on the Human Male Reproductive Parameters in HIV-Infected Population in China. Biol Trace Elem Res 180, 39–47 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-017-0998-y

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