open access

Vol 57, No 1 (2019)
Original paper
Submitted: 2019-01-08
Accepted: 2019-03-06
Published online: 2019-03-26
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The impact of sedentary work on sperm nuclear DNA integrity

Kamil Gill1, Joanna Jakubik1, Michal Kups123, Aleksandra Rosiak-Gill13, Rafal Kurzawa43, Maciej Kurpisz5, Monika Fraczek5, Malgorzata Piasecka1
·
Pubmed: 30869154
·
Folia Histochem Cytobiol 2019;57(1):15-22.
Affiliations
  1. Department of Histology and Developmental Biology, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Żołnierska 48, 71-210 Szczecin, Poland
  2. Department of Urology and Oncological Urology, Regional Specialist Hospital in Szczecin, Arkońska 4, 71-455 Szczecin, Poland
  3. VitroLive Fertility Clinic in Szczecin, Wojska Polskiego 103, 70-483 Szczecin, Poland
  4. Department of Procreative Health, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin,, Żołnierska 48, 71–210 Szczecin, Poland
  5. Institute of Human Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznan, Poland, Strzeszynska 32, 60-479 Poznan, Poland

open access

Vol 57, No 1 (2019)
ORIGINAL PAPERS
Submitted: 2019-01-08
Accepted: 2019-03-06
Published online: 2019-03-26

Abstract

Introduction. Contemporary professional jobs that often enforce a sedentary lifestyle and are frequently associated with testicular overheat, deserve special attention with respect to male fertility potential. Interestingly, the harmful effect of testicular heat stress on sperm characteristics including nuclear DNA integrity was well characterized; however, the influence of sedentary work on sperm chromatin has not yet been documented. Therefore, our research was designed to examine the potential effects of sedentary work not only on conventional semen features but also on sperm nuclear DNA status.
Materials and methods. The study was carried out on ejaculated sperm cells obtained from men who spent ≥ 50% of their time at work (≥ 17.5 h per week) in a sedentary position (n = 152) and from men who spent < 50% of their time at work in a sedentary position (n = 102). Standard semen characteristics were assessed according to the WHO 2010 recommendations, while sperm nuclear DNA fragmentation (SDF) was evaluated using the Halosperm test.
Results. There were no significant differences in the standard semen parameters between the study groups. The groups differed only in SDF parameter. The men who spent at least 50% of their work time in a sedentary position had a higher proportion of SDF than the men who spent < 50% of their time at work in a sedentary position (median value 21.00% vs. 16.50%, respectively). The incidence of low SDF levels (related to 0–15% sperm cells with abnormal DNA dispersion) was significantly lower (27.63% vs. 45.10%), the percentage of men with high SDF levels (related to > 30%) was significantly higher (30.92% vs. 16.67%) in group of men who spent at least 50% of their work time in a sedentary positon. Furthermore, these men were more than twice as likely to have not a low SDF level (OR: 0.4648) and had more than twice the risk of having a high SDF level (OR: 2.2381) than the men in less sedentary occupations.
Conclusions. Despite lack of association between sedentary work and conventional semen characteristics our study revealed detrimental effect of seated work on sperm nuclear DNA integrity. A sedentary job doubled the risk of high levels of sperm DNA damage. The pathomechanism could be related to testicular heat stress resulting in sperm chromatin remodelling failure during spermiogenesis. Therefore, it seems reasonable to simultaneously carry out routine seminological analyses and tests assessing sperm chromatin status while diagnosing male infertility.

Abstract

Introduction. Contemporary professional jobs that often enforce a sedentary lifestyle and are frequently associated with testicular overheat, deserve special attention with respect to male fertility potential. Interestingly, the harmful effect of testicular heat stress on sperm characteristics including nuclear DNA integrity was well characterized; however, the influence of sedentary work on sperm chromatin has not yet been documented. Therefore, our research was designed to examine the potential effects of sedentary work not only on conventional semen features but also on sperm nuclear DNA status.
Materials and methods. The study was carried out on ejaculated sperm cells obtained from men who spent ≥ 50% of their time at work (≥ 17.5 h per week) in a sedentary position (n = 152) and from men who spent < 50% of their time at work in a sedentary position (n = 102). Standard semen characteristics were assessed according to the WHO 2010 recommendations, while sperm nuclear DNA fragmentation (SDF) was evaluated using the Halosperm test.
Results. There were no significant differences in the standard semen parameters between the study groups. The groups differed only in SDF parameter. The men who spent at least 50% of their work time in a sedentary position had a higher proportion of SDF than the men who spent < 50% of their time at work in a sedentary position (median value 21.00% vs. 16.50%, respectively). The incidence of low SDF levels (related to 0–15% sperm cells with abnormal DNA dispersion) was significantly lower (27.63% vs. 45.10%), the percentage of men with high SDF levels (related to > 30%) was significantly higher (30.92% vs. 16.67%) in group of men who spent at least 50% of their work time in a sedentary positon. Furthermore, these men were more than twice as likely to have not a low SDF level (OR: 0.4648) and had more than twice the risk of having a high SDF level (OR: 2.2381) than the men in less sedentary occupations.
Conclusions. Despite lack of association between sedentary work and conventional semen characteristics our study revealed detrimental effect of seated work on sperm nuclear DNA integrity. A sedentary job doubled the risk of high levels of sperm DNA damage. The pathomechanism could be related to testicular heat stress resulting in sperm chromatin remodelling failure during spermiogenesis. Therefore, it seems reasonable to simultaneously carry out routine seminological analyses and tests assessing sperm chromatin status while diagnosing male infertility.

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Keywords

sperm parameters; DNA fragmentation; sedentary work; male reproductive health

About this article
Title

The impact of sedentary work on sperm nuclear DNA integrity

Journal

Folia Histochemica et Cytobiologica

Issue

Vol 57, No 1 (2019)

Article type

Original paper

Pages

15-22

Published online

2019-03-26

Page views

3364

Article views/downloads

1861

DOI

10.5603/FHC.a2019.0002

Pubmed

30869154

Bibliographic record

Folia Histochem Cytobiol 2019;57(1):15-22.

Keywords

sperm parameters
DNA fragmentation
sedentary work
male reproductive health

Authors

Kamil Gill
Joanna Jakubik
Michal Kups
Aleksandra Rosiak-Gill
Rafal Kurzawa
Maciej Kurpisz
Monika Fraczek
Malgorzata Piasecka

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