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Assessment of trans, trans‐muconic acid in human seminal plasma
Author(s) -
Ducci M.,
Tedeschi D.,
Rossi P.,
Gazzano A.,
Villani C.,
Voliani S.,
Bertozzi M. A.,
Martelli F.,
MenchiniFabris F.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
andrologia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.633
H-Index - 59
eISSN - 1439-0272
pISSN - 0303-4569
DOI - 10.1111/j.1439-0272.2001.tb01500.x
Subject(s) - muconic acid , chemistry , benzene , semen , urine , spermatogenesis , andrology , oxidative stress , medicine , sperm , endocrinology , biology , biochemistry , organic chemistry
Summary Trans, trans‐muconic acid (tt‐MA) is one of the most important metabolites of benzene, a pollutant ubiquitously distributed in ambient air and classified in 1982 as a group I carcinogen. For its sensitivity and specificity, tt‐MA excreted in urine is considered a good biological marker of benzene exposure. In this study, seminal tt‐MA levels in occupationally nonexposed subjects ( n = 32) have been determined. The seminal fluid of normozoospermic subjects contained an average tt‐MA concentration (170 ± 100 ng ml −1 ) significantly lower than that of teratozoospermic (310 ± 180 ng ml −1 ; P <0.01), oligozoospermic (400 ± 180 ng ml −1 ; P <0.001), and oligoasthenozoospermic (430 ± 230 ng ml −1 ; P <0.01) subjects. A negative correlation existed between tt‐MA levels and sperm concentration ( r = — 0.62; P <0.001), percentage of normal spermatozoa ( r = — 0.41; P <0.05), and percentage of vital spermatozoa ( r = — 0.89; P <0.001). Average tt‐MA levels detected in seminal plasma were higher in smokers (350 ± 160 ng ml −1 ) than in nonsmokers (280 ± 210 ng ml −1 ). These results show that seminal plasma tt‐MA content could be an important biological indicator for evaluating the negative effects of benzene on spermatogenesis.