Effect of various genotoxins and reproductive toxins in human
lymphocytes and sperm in the Comet assay
Anderson D, Dobrzyska MM, Basaran N
Teratog Carcinog Mutagen 1997 17:1 29-43
Abstract
There have been conflicting reports as to whether the mean sperm
count in some men has diminished over the last 50 years. The downward
trend has been suggested to coincide with an increase in exposure to
estrogen-like compounds.
These estrogenic substances are ubiquitous in the environment.
We have examined the effect of such substances (diethylstilbestrol,
beta-estradiol, daidzein, genestein, and nonylphenyl) in the single
cell gel electrophoresis assay (Comet assay) in human sperm and
compared responses with those from human peripheral lymphocytes in the
same donor and in peripheral lymphocytes from a female donor.
In addition, effects from the estrogens have been compared to those
from known reprotoxins and genotoxins. These include lead sulfate,
nitrate and acetate, dibromochloropropane, ethylene glycol monoethyl
ether, 1,2-epoxybutene, and 1,2,3,4-diepoxybutane.
All compounds produced positive responses, but ethylene glycol
monoethyl ether only produced positive responses in sperm cells in the
male and not in peripheral lymphocytes, and similarly the
phytoestrogens (genistein, daidzein) were less responsive in the
peripheral lymphocytes in the male than in the sperm.
This may be due to greater sensitivity of sperm cells because of
their lack of repair.
However, since damage was generally seen over a similar dose range,
a one-to-one ratio of somatic and germ cell damage was observed and has
implications for man for risk assessment purposes
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