Differential Modification of Sperm Parameters by Various Volatile Organic Compounds

  • Choi, Dal-Woong (Department of Environmental Health, College of Health Sciences, Korea University) ;
  • Sohn, Jong-Ryeul (Department of Environmental Health, College of Health Sciences, Korea University) ;
  • Moon, Kyung-Whan (Department of Environmental Health, College of Health Sciences, Korea University) ;
  • Byeon, Sang-Hoon (Department of Environmental Health, College of Health Sciences, Korea University) ;
  • Yoo, Dong-Chul (Department of Environmental Health, College of Health Sciences, Korea University) ;
  • Kim, Hi-Chol (Department of Environmental Health, College of Health Sciences, Korea University) ;
  • Kim, Young-Whan (Department of Environmental Health, College of Health Sciences, Korea University)
  • Published : 2005.06.03

Abstract

Porous building materials are not only sources of indoor air pollutants such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) but they are also strong sinks of these pollutants. Volatile organic compounds have been implicated in impaired spermatogenesis, increase in the incidence of malformed sperm and decrease in the percentage of moving sperm. The aim of this study was to determine and compare the direct effects of various volatile organic compounds (phenol, formaldehyde; HCHO, ethanol, toluene, styrene) on motility and survival rate of human sperm in vitro. Semen samples from 3 health subjects were prepared using swim-up method and 1-10mM volatile organic compounds were added to the test medium. HCHO and phenol produced significant decreases in the motility and survival rate with a different potency. The most potent inhibition of motility and survival rate was observed after exposure to HCHO. Less than 1mM HCHO significantly inhibited sperm motility. When ethanol is added directly to sperm, at concentrations equivalent to that in serum after heavy drinking, these damaging effects were lowest compared with other volatile organic compounds. Present study shows that each compound has differential toxic potency to human sperm and we need special caution for the use of HCHO and phenol.

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