( compounds have acted on the cell that...)Environmental chemical cocktail may sabotage sperm

compounds have acted on the cell, that prompts an appropriate response. In the case of sperm, increased cAMP production appeared to stimulate premature sperm capacitation. "The sperm were still alive and their ability to move was unaffected, but the spontaneous acrosome reaction meant that they were unable to fertilise an egg," said Prof Fraser.

She said that the chemicals were more likely to affect sperm when they reached the female tract where they would be preparing to fertilise eggs. "Maternal exposure to the compounds is probably more important than paternal exposure. Given the likelihood that all of us are exposed to several xenobiotics at any one time, with soya in the diet and exposure to other compounds coming from plastics etc, we need to investigate their possible effects on the fertility of human sperm as quickly as possible."

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Source:European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology


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