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The underlying reasons for male-factor infertility are often unknown. 30% of all men have unexplained semen analysis abnormalities. Moreover, 15%–40% of infertile men have normal semen analyses. There have been increasing efforts to identify causes and associations that may explain idiopathic male-factor infertility. Telomeres have become an area of considerable interest in the field because of the essential roles they have in cellular division and genome integrity. Research to date most consistently supports that men with infertility have shorter sperm telomere length (STL); however, associations between shorter STL and meaningful reproductive health outcomes are less consistent. There is a major need for additional studies to better identify the role of STL in male reproductive health and use the information to improve the counseling and treatment of couples with idiopathic male-factor infertility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to evaluate if the sperm telomere length can be considered as a new biomarker for sperm quality in bulls. Sperm Telomere Length was evaluated by Monochrome Multiplex Quantitative PCR in group A (n = 8) and group B (n = 8) bulls, classified according to standard semen analysis. Also, this parameter was measured before and after Percoll gradient separation within bulls that produced semen of satisfactory quality. Sperm telomere length, measured as T/S ratio (average ratio of telomere repeats copy number to a single copy gene), was higher in group A than in group B bulls (0.77 ± 0.03 vs 0.43 ± 0.06; P < 0.01). Sperm telomere length was positively correlated with motility, viability and membrane integrity, and it was negatively correlated with sperm anomalies. Furthermore, Percoll gradient selected sperms with higher T/S ratio than unselected sperms (1.19 ± 0.02 vs 0.67 ± 0.03). These results suggest that sperm telomere length can be used as a new marker of bovine semen quality. • Sperm telomere length can be used as marker of bovine semen quality. • Sperm telomere length is correlated to most sperm quality traits. • Percoll density gradient separates sperm with longer telomeres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Research question Telomeres are non-coding, repetitive DNA sequences (TTAGGG repeats) that play an important role in maintaining genome integrity. Unlike in somatic cells, telomere length in spermatozoa increases with male age and is considered as a molecular marker of sperm quality. The aetiology of failed fertilization following intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is multifactorial; perhaps one of the reasons for this failure in these individuals is shortened sperm telomere length. This study therefore aimed to assess sperm telomere length in addition to DNA damage, lipid peroxidation and protamine deficiency in infertile men with previously failed/low fertilization post-ICSI. Design Semen samples were obtained from infertile men with previous failed/low fertilization rates (n = 10). Chromatin integrity (chromomycin A3 staining and TUNEL assay), lipid peroxidation (BODIPY probe) and telomere length (real-time PCR) for semen samples from these men were compared with samples obtained from fertile individuals (n = 10). Results The results showed significantly higher mean values for sperm DNA damage, lipid peroxidation and reduced telomere length in spermatozoa of infertile men with previous failed/low fertilization compared with fertile individuals (P < 0.05). Conclusions Failed/low fertilization rates could be related to oxidative stress resulting in short telomere length, and also increased sperm chromatin damage and lipid peroxidation. From literature sources, shortened telomere length may lead to detachment of chromosomes from the nuclear membrane, the consequences of which are defects in the process of spermatogenesis, pronuclei formation, and delayed or arrested cell cycle post-ICSI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence linking O 3 exposure and human semen quality is limited and conflicting and the mechanism underlying the association remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated the associations between ambient O 3 exposure and sperm quality parameters and explored the mediating role of sperm mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) and sperm telomere length (STL) among 1068 potential sperm donors who provided 5002 repeated semen samples over approximately 90 days. We found that every 10 μg/m3 increase in O 3 exposure was associated with a decrease in STL, sperm concentration, total count, total motile sperm number, and semen volume. However, O 3 exposure was associated with increased total motility and progressive motility. The association for sperm quality parameters was stronger when exposure was measured at spermatogenesis stages I and II. For STL, the strongest association was observed when exposure was measured at spermatogenesis stage II. Additionally, we found that approximately 9% and 8% of the association between O 3 exposure and sperm concentration and count was mediated by STL, respectively. In summary, our findings suggest that O 3 pollution may affect sperm telomere length, eventually leading to reduced semen quality. [Display omitted] • O 3 exposure affects sperm count, concentration and total motile sperm count. • O 3 exposure affects the mechanism-based indicator, sperm telomere length. • Spermatogenesis stages I and II are the sensitive windows of ozone exposure. • Sperm telomere length mediates the association of ozone exposure with sperm quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been well demonstrated that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) can cause reproductive toxicity, and shorter telomere length in sperm may be one of the factors causing male infertility. However, whether exposure to PAHs is associated with sperm telomere length (STL) has never been evaluated. The present study aimed to assess the potential association between PAHs exposure and STL, and to explore potential biomarkers that may predict the effects of low-level exposure to PAHs on human sperm. Questionnaires and biological samples were collected from 666 volunteers participating in the Male Reproductive Health in Chongqing College Students (MARHCS) cohort study in 2014. Semen parameters were measured for 656 participants, while urinary PAH metabolites, STL and sperm apoptosis were successfully measured for 492, 444 and 628 participants, respectively. The linear regression analysis revealed that increased levels of urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHPyr) and 1-hydroxynapthalene (1-OHNap) were associated with decreased STL (− 0.385; 95% CI, − 0.749, − 0.021 for 1-OHPyr; and − 0.079; 95% CI, − 0.146, − 0.011 for 1-OHNap). The significant negative associations remained after adjusting for potential confounders. However, no significant associations were observed between urinary PAH metabolites and semen quality or sperm apoptosis. We also administrated rats with benzo[ a ]pyrene (B[ a ]P; 0, 1, 5, and 10 mg/kg) for 4 weeks and found shorter STL and decreased telomerase expression in germ cells in a dose-dependent manner. In conclusion, environmental exposure to some PAHs may be associated with decreased human STL, and the in vivo animal results also demonstrate the adverse effects of B[ a ]P on telomere of male germ cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]