To explore the differences of male semen parameters in different seasons
of the year, so as to explore the potential climatic factors affecting
spermatogenesis and male reproductive ability, we retrospectively analyzed 21,715 semen analysis
data from January 2018 to February 2021, grouped by year and season, and
finally the relationships among semen parameters and semen and meteorological
parameters were compared. Environmental exposures prior to 3 months were
analyzed and correlation analysis was performed.The semen concentration
decreased year by year (p < 0.01). However, the Progressive motility (PR)
and total PR number had been increased (p < 0.01). There were statistical
differences in sperm parameters which include semen volume, sperm concentration,
total sperm number, progressive motility (PR), total PR number and total
motility in different seasons, winter and spring were better than summer and
autumn (p < 0.01). Total sperm number and sperm concentration were
positively correlated with PR (R = 0.420, R = 0.440, p < 0.01). There was no
correlation between daylight duration and semen parameters. Sperm parameters
were positively or negatively correlated with environmental temperature, air
pressure or humidity which had an overall effect on semen quality. It is
suggested that seasonal factors should be considered when evaluating male
reproductive ability. Besides referring to conventional semen parameters, other
factors such as season and climate should also be considered.
References
[1]
Carlsen, E., Giwercman, A., Keiding, N. and Skakkebaek, N.E. (1992) Evidence for Decreasing Quality of Semen during Past 50 Years. British Medical Journal, 305, 609-613. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.305.6854.609
[2]
Sengupta, P., Nwagha, U., Dutta, S., Krajewska-Kulak, E. and Izuka, E. (2017) Evidence for Decreasing Sperm Count in African Population from 1965 to 2015. African Health Sciences, 17, 418-427. https://doi.org/10.4314/ahs.v17i2.16
[3]
Sengupta, P., Borges Jr., E., Dutta, S. and Krajewska-Kulak, E. (2018) Decline in Sperm Count in European Men during the Past 50 Years. Human & Experimental Toxicology, 37, 247-255. https://doi.org/10.1177/0960327117703690
[4]
Sengupta, P., Dutta, S. and Krajewska-Kulak, E. (2017) The Disappearing Sperms: Analysis of Reports Published between 1980 and 2015. American Journal of Men’s Health, 11, 1279-1304. https://doi.org/10.1177/1557988316643383
[5]
Gabrielsen, J.S. and Tanrikut, C. (2016) Chronic Exposures and Male Fertility: The Impacts of Environment, Diet, and Drug Use on Spermatogenesis. Andrology, 4, 648-661. https://doi.org/10.1111/andr.12198
[6]
Peiris-John, R.J. and Wickremasinghe, R. (2008) Impact of Low-Level Exposure to Organophosphates on Human Reproduction and Survival. Transactions of The Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 102, 239-245. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trstmh.2007.11.012
[7]
Chiang, C., Mahalingam, S. and Flaws, J.A. (2017) Environmental Contaminants Affecting Fertility and Somatic Health. Seminars in Reproductive Medicine, 35, 241-249. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0037-1603569
[8]
Pizzol, D., Foresta, C., Garolla, A., Demurtas, J., Trott, M., Bertoldo, A., et al. (2021) Pollutants and Sperm Quality: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 28, 4095-4103. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-11589-z
[9]
Balachandar, R., Bagepally, B.S., Kalahasthi, R. and Haridoss, M. (2020) Blood Lead Levels and Male Reproductive Hormones: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Toxicology, 443, Article ID: 152574. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tox.2020.152574
[10]
Zhang, J., Mauzerall, D.L., Zhu, T., Liang, S., Ezzati, M. and Remais, J.V. (2010) Environmental Health in China: Progress towards Clean Air and Safe Water. Lancet, 375, 1110-1119. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(10)60062-1
[11]
Levine, R.J. (1994) Male Factors Contributing to the Seasonality of Human Reproduction. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 709, 29-45. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.1994.tb30386.x
[12]
Joffe, M. (2003) Infertility and Environmental Pollutants. British Medical Bulletin, 68, 47-70. https://doi.org/10.1093/bmb/ldg025
[13]
Ozelci, R., Yılmaz, S., Dilbaz, B., Akpınar, F., Cırık, D.A., Dilbaz, S., et al. (2016) Seasonal Variation of Human Sperm Cells among 4,422 Semen Samples: A Retrospective Study in Turkey. Systems Biology in Reproductive Medicine, 62, 379-386. https://doi.org/10.1080/19396368.2016.1225322
[14]
Pool, K.R., Rickard, J.P., Pini, T. and de Graaf, S.P. (2020) Exogenous Melatonin Advances the Ram Breeding Season and Increases Testicular Function. Scientific Reports, 10, Article No. 9711. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-66594-6
[15]
Golher, D.M., Kumaresan, A., Saraf, K.K., Chhillar, S., Nayak, S., Tripathi, U.K., et al. (2018) Influence of Season and Climatic Variables on Testicular Cytology, Semen Quality and Melatonin Concentrations in Crossbred Bucks Reared under Subtropical Climate. International Journal of Biometeorology, 62, 1709-1719. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-018-1571-x
[16]
Sabés-Alsina, M., Lundeheim, N., Johannisson, A., López-Béjar, M. and Morrell, J.M. (2019) Relationships between Climate and Sperm Quality in Dairy Bull Semen: A Retrospective Analysis. Journal of Dairy Science, 102, 5623-5633. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2018-15837
[17]
World Health Organization (2010) WHO Laboratory Manual for the Examination and Processing of Human Semen. 5th Edition, World Health Organization, Geneva, 271.
[18]
Feng, Y., Gong, X., Zhu, K., Li, N., Yu, Z., Guo, Y., et al. (2019) Prevalence and Genotypic Identification of Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia duodenalis and Enterocytozoon bieneusi in Pre-Weaned Dairy Calves in Guangdong, China. Parasites & Vectors, 12, Article No. 41. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-019-3310-5
[19]
Gao, W., Tu, R., Li, H., Fang, Y. and Que, Q. (2020) In the Subtropical Monsoon Climate High-Density City, What Features of the Neighborhood Environment Matter Most for Public Health? International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17, Article No. 9566. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17249566
[20]
Wang, F., Yang, W., Ouyang, S. and Yuan, S. (2020) The Vehicle Determines the Destination: The Significance of Seminal Plasma Factors for Male Fertility. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 21, Article No. 8499. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21228499
[21]
Garolla, A., Torino, M., Sartini, B., Cosci, I., Patassini, C., Carraro, U., et al. (2013) Seminal and Molecular Evidence That Sauna Exposure Affects Human Spermatogenesis. Human Reproduction, 28, 877-885. https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/det020
[22]
Boni, R. (2019) Heat Stress, a Serious Threat to Reproductive Function in Animals and Humans. Molecular Reproduction and Development, 86, 1307-1323. https://doi.org/10.1002/mrd.23123
[23]
Verratti, V., Di Giulio, C., D’Angeli, A., Tafuri, A., Francavilla, S. and Pelliccione, F. (2016) Sperm Forward Motility Is Negatively Affected by Short-Term Exposure to Altitude Hypoxia. Andrologia, 48, 800-806. https://doi.org/10.1111/and.12515
[24]
Levitas, E., Lunenfeld, E., Weisz, N., Friger, M. and Har-Vardi, I. (2013) Seasonal Variations of Human Sperm Cells among 6455 Semen Samples: A Plausible Explanation of a Seasonal Birth Pattern. American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, 208, 406.e1-e6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2013.02.010
[25]
Henkel, R., Menkveld, R., Kleinhappl, M. and Schill, W.B. (2001) Seasonal Changes in Human Sperm Chromatin Condensation. Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics, 18, 371-377. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1016618405570
[26]
Santi, D., Vezzani, S., Granata, A.R., Roli, L., De Santis, M.C., Ongaro, C., et al. (2016) Sperm Quality and Environment: A Retrospective, Cohort Study in a Northern Province of Italy. Environmental Research, 150, 144-153. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2016.05.053
[27]
Ombelet, W., Maes, M., Vandeput, H., Cox, A., Janssen, M., Pollet, H., et al. (1996) Chronobiological Fluctuations in Semen Parameters with a Constant Abstinence Period. Archives of Andrology, 37, 91-96. https://doi.org/10.3109/01485019608988508
[28]
Levine, R.J. (1999) Seasonal Variation of Semen Quality and Fertility. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health, 25, 34-37.
[29]
Kabukçu, C., Çil, N., Turan, T., Özlülerden, Y., Çabuş, Ü. and Abban Mete, G. (2020) Do Seasonal Variations in Ambient Temperature, Humidity and Daylight Duration Affect Semen Parameters? A Retrospective Analysis over Eight Years. Andrologia, 52, Article No. e13777. https://doi.org/10.1111/and.13777
[30]
Lee, M.S., Lee, H.W., You, S. and Ha, K.T. (2016) The Use of Maca (Lepidium meyenii) to Improve Semen quality: A Systematic Review. Maturitas, 92, 64-69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2016.07.013
[31]
Liu, Y.X. (2010) Temperature Control of Spermatogenesis and Prospect of Male Contraception. Frontiers in Bioscience-Scholar, 2, 730-755. https://doi.org/10.2741/s97
[32]
Abdelhamid, M., Esquerre-Lamare, C., Walschaerts, M., Ahmad, G., Mieusset, R., Hamdi, S., et al. (2019) Experimental Mild Increase in Testicular Temperature Has Drastic, but Reversible, Effect on Sperm Aneuploidy in Men: A Pilot Study. Reproductive Biology, 19, 189-194. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.repbio.2019.06.001
[33]
Jurewicz, J., Radwan, M., Sobala, W., Radwan, P., Jakubowski, L., Hawuła, W., et al. (2014) Lifestyle Factors and Sperm Aneuploidy. Reproductive Biology, 14, 190-199. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.repbio.2014.02.002