The Effect of Month-Long Daily Fasting on Semen Parameters: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Offra EngelNeta DoctoryBei SunNetanella MillerMatan LeviHanoch SchreiberNivin SamaraAmir WiserEinat Haikin Herzberger
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<b><i>Objective:</i></b> The aim of the study was to determine whether Ramadan month-long daily fasting affects semen analysis parameters. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> This retrospective cohort study was conducted in tertiary academic medical center. Medical records of 97 Muslim patients who were admitted to the IVF unit from May 2011 to May 2021 were reviewed. Only men who provided at least one semen sample during Ramadan period (Ramadan month +70 days after) and one sample not during Ramadan were included. Semen characteristics of each patient were independently compared to themselves. <b><i>Results:</i></b> The post-gradient semen analysis indicated significantly lower progressive sperm motility (mean 30.01 ± 20.46 vs. 38.12 ± 25.13) (<i>p</i> < 0.001). The decrease in the progressive motility remained significant among patients with non-male factor indications (<i>p</i> < 0.001). In the non-male factor indication group, the difference in the progressive motility of the post-gradient semen analysis between the 2 samples was not statistically significant (<i>p</i> = 0.4). There were no significant differences between semen parameters before centrifuging. The incidence of asthenospermia (progressive sperm motility <32%) as an absolute parameter was higher after centrifuging the semen sample during the Ramadan period (<i>p</i> = 0.04). <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> Semen samples collected during Ramadan period were associated with lower progressive motility and reduced semen volume compared to semen samples from the same men outside of the Ramadan period. A possible effect of these altered semen parameters on fertility should be investigated further.Keywords:
Semen Analysis
Semen quality
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How is the semen quality of sexually active men following recovery from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection?Twenty-five percent of the men with recent SARS-Cov-2 infections and proven healing were oligo-crypto-azoospermic, despite the absence of virus RNA in semen.The presence of SARS-CoV-2 in human semen and its role in virus contagion and semen quality after recovery from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is still unclear. So far, studies evaluating semen quality and the occurrence of SARS-CoV-2 in semen of infected or proven recovered men are scarce and included a limited number of participants.A prospective cross-sectional study on 43 sexually active men who were known to have recovered from SARS-CoV2 was performed. Four biological fluid samples, namely saliva, pre-ejaculation urine, semen, and post-ejaculation urine, were tested for the SARS-CoV-2 genome. Female partners were retested if any specimen was found to be SARS-CoV-2 positive. Routine semen analysis and quantification of semen leukocytes and interleukin-8 (IL-8) levels were performed.Questionnaires including International Index of Erectile Function and Male Sexual Health Questionnaire Short Form were administered to all subjects. The occurrence of virus RNA was evaluated in all the biological fluids collected by RT-PCR. Semen parameters were evaluated according to the World Health Organization manual edition V. Semen IL-8 levels were evaluated by a two-step ELISA method.After recovery from COVID-19, 25% of the men studied were oligo-crypto-azoospermic. Of the 11 men with semen impairment, 8 were azoospermic and 3 were oligospermic. A total of 33 patients (76.7%) showed pathological levels of IL-8 in semen. Oligo-crypto-azoospermia was significantly related to COVID-19 severity (P < 0.001). Three patients (7%) tested positive for at least one sample (one saliva; one pre-ejaculation urine; one semen and one post-ejaculation urine), so the next day new nasopharyngeal swabs were collected. The results from these three patients and their partners were all negative for SARS-CoV-2.Although crypto-azoospermia was found in a high percentage of men who had recovered from COVID-19, clearly exceeding the percentage found in the general population, the previous semen quality of these men was unknown nor is it known whether a recovery of testicular function was occurring. The low number of enrolled patients may limit the statistical power of study.SARS-CoV-2 can be detected in saliva, urine, and semen in a small percentage of men who recovered from COVID-19. One-quarter of men who recovered from COVID-19 demonstrated oligo-crypto-azoospermia indicating that an assessment of semen quality should be recommended for men of reproductive age who are affected by COVID-19.None.N/A.
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Objectives This study is to understand the difference of semen quality among the differenc are-as and the ralated factors. Methods The semen samples come from Shenzhen,Chendu,Zunyi,Spain. The param-eters such as semen density,viability ,grade a + b motility were compared. Results The semen quality in Shenz-hen and Chengdu were compared, parameters such as semen density,viability,grade a + b motility were significant diference (p <0.01) ; The semen quality in Shenzhen and Zunyi ware compared, parameters such as semen densi-ty,viability,grade a + b motility were significant difereace (p <0.01). The semen quality in Shenzhen and Spain was compared, parameters such as semen volume ,semen density,total semen ,viability ,grade a + b motility have not significant dicline. Conclusions The result indicated that the semen quality of adult males in Shengzhen was more poorer than Shenzhen and Chengdu. Comparing with Spain ,the semen motility has no significant decline.
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Semen; Guangdong
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Objective To explore the relationship between levels of nonylphenol(NP) and bisphenol A(BPA) in blood, semen and semen quality. Methods The blood and semen samples of 103 adult males in a hospital in Guangzhou were collected.Semen quality was detected based on WHO testing standards for sperm quality and operation standard for instrument. The concentrations of NP and BPA in blood and semen were mensurated using freeze drying-accelerated solvent extraction(ASE)-LC-MS. Results The average concentrations of NP were(2.69±3.22),(1.15±1.30) ng/ml respectively in blood and semen for males,and the average concentrations of BPA were(2.01±1.95),(1.00±1.40) ng/ml respectively. Compared with semen,NP and BPA concentrations in blood were higher. No significant correlation was observed in NP levels between blood and semen,in BPA between blood and semen, in levels between NP and BPA in blood,in levels between NP and BPA in semen. There was also no significant correlation between levels of NP and BPA in blood and semen and semen parameters(sperm concentration,Grade a, Grade b, Grade a +b, Grade c, and Grade d). Conclusion Semen quality for 103 investigated adult males is not significantly affected by the levels of NP and BPA in blood and semen.
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It is generally thought that a single ejaculate is a bad predictor of semen quality of a subject, because of significant intra-individual variation.Therefore, we investigated the degree to which the results of a first semen analysis differ from that of a second analysis among men from a general population in Norway.In addition, we analysed how the two different semen results mirrored the overall semen quality assessment.A total of 199 volunteers participated in the study and delivered two semen samples with an interval of 6 months.The semen parameters were determined according to the World Health Organization (WHO) 1999 guidelines, which were also used to determine whether semen quality was normal or abnormal.In addition, the DNA fragmentation index (DFI) was determined using the Sperm Chromatin Structure Assay.The two samples from each individual were very similar with regard to standard semen parameters and DFI (r s : 0.67-0.72),and there were no significant systematic differences between the two samples.The result of the first sample (normal/abnormal) was highly predictive of the overall conclusion based on the two samples (sperm concentration: in 93% of the cases (95% confidence interval [CI]: 89%-96%); sperm motility: in 85% of the cases (95% CI: 79%-89%); overall semen quality: in 85% of the cases (95% CI: 80%-90%).In epidemiological studies, one ejaculate is a sufficient indicator of semen quality in a group of subjects.In a clinical situation, when the question is whether the semen quality is normal or not, the first ejaculate will, in at least 85% of cases, give a correct overall conclusion.
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The process of semen collection plays a key role in the quality of semen specimens. However, the association between semen collection time and semen quality is still unclear. In this study, ejaculates by masturbation from 746 subfertile men or healthy men who underwent semen analysis were examined. The median (interquartile range) semen collection time for all participants was 7.0 (5.0–11.0) min, and the median time taken for semen collection was lower in healthy men than that in subfertile men (6.0 min vs 7.0 min). An increase in the time required to produce semen samples was associated with poorer semen quality. Among those undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART), the miscarriage rate was positively correlated with the semen collection time. After adjusting for confounders, the highest quartile (Q4) of collection time was negatively associated with semen volume and sperm concentration. A longer time to produce semen samples (Q3 and Q4) was negatively correlated with progressive and total sperm motility. In addition, there was a significant negative linear association between the semen collection time and the sperm morphology. Higher risks of asthenozoospermia (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 2.06, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.31–3.25, P = 0.002) and teratozoospermia (adjusted OR = 1.98, 95% CI: 1.10–3.55, P = 0.02) were observed in Q3 than those in Q1. Our results indicate that a higher risk of abnormal semen parameter values was associated with an increase in time for semen collection, which may be related to male fertility through its association with semen quality.
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Exposure to phthalate acid esters (PAEs) has been found to have adverse effects on reproduction of human and animal. However, the effects on the semen quality are controversial. In this study, we have collected paired blood and sperm samples from patients (n = 103) at a medical clinic in Guangzhou, China, to determine the concentrations of eight phthalate metabolites (m-PAEs). The concentration ranges of ∑8m-PAEs were 2.7–55 and 0.99–17 ng/mL in blood and semen samples, respectively. MEHP (median, 3.6 ng/mL in blood and 0.55 ng/mL in semen) and MnOP (median, 3.4 ng/mL in blood and 0.69 ng/mL in semen) were the predominant analytes in both blood and semen samples. However, analytes were not correlated in paired blood and semen. Semen motility was significantly associated to the concentrations of ∑8m-PAEs in semen, but it did not associate to the concentrations of PAEs in blood. Multi-linear regression analysis, including concentrations of PAEs in both blood and semen, as well as BMI, occupation, living habits, suggested that exposure to PAEs at current environmental levels had very limited effects on semen quality of population in Guangzhou, China.
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An attempt was made to determine the dependence of the frequency of sperm defects and dimensions on sperm motility in ejaculates of Polish Landrace boars. The study was conducted on 393 ejaculates collected from 33 Polish Landrace boars. Ejaculates were grouped according to the percentage of sperm with progressive motility, distinguishing ejaculates in which the percentage of motile sperm was 70% and 80%. In each ejaculate, the frequency of morphological changes in the sperm was determined and morphometric measurements of the sperm were made. Ejaculates with a higher proportion of sperm with progressive motility were found to contain more sperm. The ejaculate volume and sperm concentration in the ejaculate were not found to be directly associated with sperm motility. The frequency of primary defects was linked to sperm motility. Ejaculates with higher sperm motility contained fewer sperm with primary defects. The frequency of minor morphological changes, however, shows no significant dependence on sperm motility in the ejaculate. The primary morphological sperm defects most often found in ejaculates are a proximal droplet and the Dag defect. Both of these morphological forms are more common in ejaculates with lower sperm motility. The most common secondary sperm defects include sperm with a simple bent tail, sperm with a free normal head, and sperm with a distal droplet. These defects were not found to depend on sperm motility in the ejaculate. Sperm cells in ejaculates with greater sperm motility had slightly larger dimensions than sperm in ejaculates with lower sperm motility. Ejaculates with higher sperm motility are preferable for use in practice, not only because more insemination portions can be prepared from them, but also due to the lower frequency of primary defects.
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