萨科河谷(VSR)(Latium,意大利)是一个大规模工业化学生产的地区,随着时间的推移,土壤和地下水被各种工业污染物严重污染,如有机农药,二恶英,有机溶剂,重金属,尤其是,挥发性有机化合物(VOCs)。在本研究中,我们调查了VOCs对生活在VSR中的健康年轻男性精子的潜在影响,鉴于这些个体的精液中普遍存在几种挥发性有机化合物。要做到这一点,进行精子图,然后进行分子分析,以评估精子核碱性蛋白(SNBPs)的含量,以及鱼精蛋白-组蛋白比率和这些蛋白质的DNA结合。我们发现生活在VSR中的这些年轻男性的精子发生了剧烈变化。精子形态改变,精子运动性,精子计数,鱼精蛋白/组蛋白的比例,并且包括SNBP-DNA结合能力的显著降低。我们的结果提供了观察到的变化与特定VOC存在之间可能存在相关性的初步迹象。
The Valley of Sacco River (VSR) (Latium, Italy) is an area with large-scale industrial chemical production that has led over time to significant contamination of soil and groundwater with various industrial pollutants, such as organic pesticides, dioxins, organic solvents, heavy metals, and particularly, volatile organic compounds (VOCs). In the present study, we investigated the potential impact of VOCs on the spermatozoa of healthy young males living in the VSR, given the prevalent presence of several VOCs in the semen of these individuals. To accomplish this, spermiograms were conducted followed by molecular analyses to assess the content of sperm nuclear basic proteins (SNBPs) in addition to the protamine-histone ratio and DNA binding of these proteins. We found drastic alterations in the spermatozoa of these young males living in the VSR. Alterations were seen in sperm morphology, sperm motility, sperm count, and protamine/histone ratios, and included significant reductions in SNBP-DNA binding capacity. Our results provide preliminary indications of a possible correlation between the observed alterations and the presence of specific VOCs.