Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences1028-88801812-5735Asian Network for Scientific Information10.3923/pjbs.2007.2448.2453In vitro Mercury Exposure on Spermatozoa from Normospermic Individuals ]]>ArabiM. HeydarnejadM.S. 1220071015Epidemiological evidence suggests that exposure to industrial metal aerosols is detrimental to the male reproductive system. Oxidative stress has been identified as a crucial factor leading to male factor infertility largely due to peroxidative damage to the sperm cell membrane. The objectives of the present study were to test the effect of mercury in the concentration range from 50 to 800 μmol-1, in vitro, on the sperm membrane and DNA integrity, motility and acrosomal status of human spermatozoa. We found a significant increase in the Lipo Per Oxidation (LPO) indicating the deleterious effect of mercury on the sperm membrane integrity. This effect was prominent at the concentration of 800 μM mercury. There was also a strong negative correlation between LPO rate and percentage of viable spermatozoa (r = -0.941, p<0.001). Data obtained from SCGE assay technique revealed that mercury is capable of inducing DNA breaks in the sperm nuclei. Almost, 88% of DNA breaks were of double-stranded. The correlation between LPO rate and percentage of DNA breaks was found to be 0.918 (p<0.001). Performing the gelatin digestion test indicates that mercury was able to alter the integrity of acrosomal membranes showing an abnormal acrosome reaction. In this regard, a strong correlation was found between LPO rate and percentage of halos (r = -0.893, p<0.001). Taken together, mercury induced membrane impairments, lowered sperm viability, DNA breaks and a decreased rate in the acrosome reaction of human spermatozoa leading to sperm dysfunction. Entering mercury in the male gonads and seminal plasma may exert deleterious effects on the human spermatozoa. Hence, considering the wide spread use of mercury and its compounds, these metals should regarded with more concern.]]>Agarwal, S., R.A. Saleh and M.A. Bedaiway,200379829843Aitken, R.J. and C. Krause,2001122497506Arabi, M., S.N. Sanyal, U. Kanwar and R.J.K. Anand,2003in vitro Study.]]>2003pp: 250-267pp: 250-267Arabi, M.,2004Cyprinus carpio L.).]]>10229245Arabi, M.,200436305310Arabi, M.,200540454459Arabi, M.,200619335340Ariaz, M.E. and M.V. Williams,1996273033Alvarez, J.G., J.C. Touchstone, L. Blasco and B.T. Storey,19878338348Au, D.W., M.W. Chiang and R.S. Wu,200038455463Barroso, G., M. Morshedi and S. Oehninger,20001513381344Blom, E.,19501176177Bonde, J.P.,199047508515Crinnion, W.J.,20005209223De Flora, S., C. Bennicelli and M. Bagnasco,19943175779Delnomdedieu, M., A. Boudou, D. Georgescauld and E.L. Dufourc,199281243269Dorea, J.G. and C.M. Donangelo,200625369376Duru, N.K., M. Morshedi and S. Oehninger,20007412001207Fiscor, G., L.C. Ginsberg, G.M. Oldford, R.E. Snoke and R.W. Becker,198339548552Fraga, G.G., P.A. Motchnik, A.J. Wyrobek, D.M. Rempel and B. Ames,1996351199203Garcia, R., R. Martinez, M. Rabago, O. Hernandez-Perez, A. Reyes and A. Rosado,19912693105Grover, P., B.S. Banu, K.D. Devi and S. Begum,2001In vivo genotoxic effects of mercuric chloride in rat peripheral blood leucocytes using comet assays.]]>167191197Halliwell, B. and J.M. Gutteridge,1984219114Hartwig, A.,19958311Henkel, R., E. Kierspel, M. Hajimohammad, T. Stalf and C. Hoogendijk et al.,20037477484Hovatta, O., E.R. Venalainen, L. Kuusimaki, J. Heikkila, T. Hirvi and I. Reima,199813115119Hughes, C.M., S.E.M. Lewis, V.J. McKelvey-Martin and W. Thompson,19962613619Hughes, C.M., S.E.M. Lewis, V.J. McKelvey-Martin and W. Thompson,19981312401247Li, M. and D. Chen,19962+-ATPase activity and acrosome reaction in guinea pig sperm.]]>39418426Moustafa, M.H., R.K. Sharma, J. Thornton, E. Mascha, M.A. Abdel-Hafez, A.J. Thomas and A. Agarwal,200419129138O'Flaherty, C., N. Beorlegui and M.T. Beconi,200326109114Rajesh, K.T., K. Doreswamy, B. Shrilatha and Muralidhara,2002513103111Rao, B., J.C. Soufir, M. Martin and G. David,198924127134Rao, M.V. and P.S. Sharma,200115705712Saleh, R.A., A. Agarwal, E.A. Nada, M.H. El-Tonsy and R.K. Sharma et al.,20037915971605Sener, G., A.O. Sehirli and G. Ayanog lu-Dulger,200393290296Sharma, R.K. and A. Agarwal,199648835850WHO,1989World Health Organization (WHO),19993rd Edn.,Wong, S.H., J.A. Knight, S.M. Hopfer, O. Zaharia, C.N. Jr. Leach and F.W. Jr. Sunderman,198733214220Woo, A.L., P.F. James and J.B. Lingrel,20002752069320699Zini, A., K. Kamal, D. Phang, J. Willis and K. Jarvi,200158258261