Infertility affects 10–15 % of couples worldwide [1], [2], [3], [4], of which about half of the cases (range 20–70 %) are due to male reproductive issues [5]. Epidemiological studies have also shown decreasing sperm quality over the past few decades [6], [7], [8]. In addition, an increasing incidence rate of testicular cancer has been reported in many developed countries [9], [10]. The cause of these phenomena is unknown and most likely multifactorial; however, environmental toxicants are considered to be a primary contributing factor. Environmental toxicants and their potential effects on human/animal health have been a subject of interest in toxicology research, and some have been reported to have adverse effects on testis cells, at times leading to male infertility [11], [12], [13], [14]. Major pathological mechanisms of male reproductive toxicants include the alteration of testis cell development, function, hormonal production, and direct cell damage [15]. For example, testicular cancers such as germ cell neoplasia in situ (GCNIS) can be caused by a combination of adverse environmental and genetic factors. The key carcinogenic mechanism is thought to be the impaired function of testicular somatic cells (i.e., Sertoli and Leydig cells). Without proper stimulation from the somatic cells, normal differentiation of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) toward the formation of mature sperm is disrupted. Subsequently, these SSCs develop into GCNIS during adulthood [9].
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0890623824001126
Author
J.R.K