Testicular effect of mustard gas

doi:10.1016/S0090-4295(01)01085-8

Urology

Volume 58, Issue 1, July 2001, Pages 90-94

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0090-4295(01)01085-8 Get rights and content

Abstract

Objectives. To explain the testicular effect of mustard gas.

Methods. Eighty-one patients who had been exposed to sulfur mustard and had the presenting symptom of infertility underwent evaluation of their reproductive system. Three semen analyses, serum hormonal determinations (luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and testosterone), and genital examinations were completed for all patients, as were testicular biopsies in 24 patients.

Results. Azoospermia and severe oligospermia were diagnosed in 42.5% and 57.5% of patients, respectively. Hormone studies revealed an elevated plasma follicle-stimulating hormone level and normal plasma luteinizing hormone and testosterone concentrations. Testicular biopsy showed selective atrophy of the germinal epithelium, intact Sertoli cells, and normal-appearing Leydig cells.

Conclusions. Mustard gas can cause defective spermatogenesis years after exposure.

Section snippets

Material and methods

The study group comprised 81 men with infertility who had been exposed to mustard gas. The men were divided into three groups: 44 severely injured men, 20 moderately injured men, and 17 mildly injured men.

These patients were injured with mustard gas during 1985 to 1988 in the Iran-Iraq War. Most of the men were exposed at the time of the attack; some were exposed when in a contaminated area several hours after the attack. They had mild to severe injuries of the skin, eyes, mouth, upper

Results

The assessment of the effects of sulfur mustard on the reproductive function of the men in this study was complicated by a lack of individual studies before sulfur mustard exposure. The testicular size was not appreciably different when the exposed groups were compared with normal fertile men. However, a decrease in testicular size did appear among those men found to be azoospermic when compared with the accepted norms of testicular diameter, that is 5 × 3 cm. No other genital abnormalities

Comment

Mustard gas may occur in the form of sulfur mustard gas S (CH₂CH₂Cl)₂ or nitrogen mustard gas. There are several types of nitrogen mustard gas, and N (CH₂CH₂Cl)₃ is the most toxic. This form of the gas becomes a liquid on the skin.

During the first 5 minutes of exposure, 50 μg/cm² causes blistering.3 Mustard gas is able to penetrate leather and normal clothing within a few minutes, but rubber material provides protection for several hours. The mustard gases are very persistent chemical agents.

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Relationships between DNA oxidative damage, testosterone, and body mass index in sulfur mustard-chemical veterans
2023, Toxicologie Analytique et Clinique
Sulfur mustard (SM) as a chemical weapon was sometimes used in previous wars that had acute and chronic toxicity.
In the present study, two groups of volunteers were considered: firstly, the SM-exposed group, 56 male individuals, exposed to SM once in 1987 during the Iraq–Iran war; secondly, the non-exposed group, 15 healthy male individuals. The levels of oxidised DNA damage were evaluated due to SM exposure as a delayed effect, then the alterations and correlations of this damage and serum testosterone levels were assessed based on the body mass index (BMI) (normal, overweight, and obese) in the veterans.
Testosterone level was significantly lower in the SM-exposed individuals than in the non-exposed ones, while the DNA damage was higher. DNA damage was also higher in obese SM-chemical veterans than in normal-BMI veterans, whereas serum testosterone level was diminished. Also, DNA damage was correlated with body mass index (positive) and testosterone level (negative) in the veterans. On the other hand, BMI was correlated with testosterone level (negative) in SM-chemical veterans.
Probably, both SM exposure and obesity cause oxidative stress and subsequent testosterone diminishment. Testosterone deficiency, in turn, progresses obesity and exacerbates oxidative stress at the positive feedback in SM-chemical veterans.
Spermatozoa selection in the female reproductive tract: The initiation of the battle of the sexes
2023, Principles of Gender-Specific Medicine: Sex and Gender-Specific Biology in the Postgenomic Era
Historically, the sex ratio of offspring in mammals has been regarded as solely dependent on whether an X or Y chromosome-bearing spermatozoon fertilizes the oocyte. Recently, however, data from ingenious experiments showing that X and Y chromosome-bearing spermatozoa elicit differential genomic transcription by oviductal cells and presence or absence of key receptors have suggested that the female reproductive tract has an active role in selecting which spermatozoa reach the oocyte. These findings, which probably extend to other genomic differences, also suggest that the female reproductive tract has a role in controlling sperm selection prior to fertilization. Additionally, via processes involving the differential survival of early embryos, the oviduct may also be able to influence the next generation even after fertilization has occurred.
Adsorption and sensor applications of C<inf>2</inf>N surface for G-series and mustard series chemical warfare agents
2021, Microporous and Mesoporous Materials
Citation Excerpt :
Similarly, the blistering agents (BA) are more damaging to mucous membrane and skin cells. These agents include nitrogen mustard (NM) and sulphur mustard (SM) [11,12]. These BA are highly toxic and damaging due to its rapid reactions with body cells of living organisms.
Adsorption of toxic chemical warfare agents (tabun (GA), sarin (GB), soman (GD), cyclosarin (GF), N-mustard (NM), S-mustard (SM) on carbon nitride (C₂N) surface is explored by employing density functional theory and molecular dynamics simulations. Interaction energy, SAPT0, NCI and QTAIM analyses reveal that all CWAs are weakly physiosorbed over C₂N surface. The stability of the complexes results due to dispersion interactions (hydrophobic nature) between interacting atoms of CWAs with C₂N surface. Electronic properties of CWAs@C₂N complexes are studied through NBO, EDD, and FMO analyses. Adsorption of GA, GD, NM and SM over C₂N surface causes transfer of charge towards C₂N, whereas, GB and GF extract charges from C₂N. The highest interaction energy (−18.66 kcal/mol) is observed for GF@C₂N complex the FMO analysis and MD simulations reveal that C₂N surface is more selective towards NM. FMO analysis reveals that adsorption of NM on C₂N surface not only causes significant decrease in E_H-L gap but the distribution of density is shifted from analyte to C₂N upon excitation from HOMO to LUMO. Recovery time of 1.36 s for desorption of NM from C₂N surface shows that C₂N can act as promising surface as an electrochemical sensor for NM detection.
Battle of the Sexes: How the Selection of Spermatozoa in the Female Reproductive Tract Manipulates the Sex Ratio of Offspring
2017, Principles of Gender-Specific Medicine: Gender in the Genomic Era: Third Edition
Historically, the sex ratio of offspring in mammals has been regarded as solely dependent on whether an X or Y chromosome-bearing spermatozoon fertilizes the oocyte. Recently, however, data from ingenious experiments showing that X and Y chromosome-bearing spermatozoa elicit differential genomic transcription by oviductal cells have suggested that the female reproductive tract has an active role in selecting which spermatozoa reach the oocyte. These findings, which probably extend to other genomic differences, also suggest that the oviduct has a role in controlling sperm selection prior to fertilization. Additionally, via processes involving the differential survival of early embryos, the oviduct may also be able to influence the next generation even after fertilization has occurred.
Relationship of oxidative stress with male infertility in sulfur mustard-exposed injuries
2016, Asian Pacific Journal of Reproduction
Citation Excerpt :
Nevertheless, it seems that serum levels of the reproductive hormones are within the normal range in SM-exposed men several years after the injury, which is dose dependent. Several studies on testicular biopsies in SM exposed patients revealed complete or relative arrest of spermatogenesis, atrophy of the germinal epithelium, intact Sertoli cells, and normal-appearing Leydig cells [20,21,32,34]. Therefore, spermatogenesis seems to be the main target of gonadal injury caused by SM.
Sulfur mustard (SM) is a cytotoxic and chemical agent that targets different tissues such as reproductive system. SM causes a wide variety of pathological effects on reproductive system such as disturbance in reproductive hormones, testis atrophy, spermatogenesis deficiency, low quality of sperm and fertility problem. However, molecular and cellular mechanisms of its adverse effects are still not well known. General events such as tissue damage, inflammation, DNA alkylation, cell membrane defects, apoptosis and cell death are observed frequently in SM-exposed subjects. Oxidative stress (OS) and antioxidants depletion induced by SM seem to be one of the main factors that lead to low sperm quality and male infertility among exposed patients. It is believed that SM can trigger several molecular and cellular pathways linked to OS and inflammation in reproductive system that can cause impaired spermatogenesis, sperm apoptosis and poor sperm quality as well as loss of tissue structure and function. Identification of these signaling pathways and molecules gives us valuable information regarding the mechanisms of SM effect on reproductive dysfunction and the way for developing a better clinical treatment. Therefore, in this review we aimed to discuss the proposed cellular and molecular mechanisms of SM effect on reproductive system, the significance of oxidative stress and the mechanisms by which SM induces OS and antioxidants depletion in SM exposed men.
Effect of 1-month war in Lebanon on sex ratio
2009, Fertility and Sterility

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Urology

Abstract

Section snippets

Material and methods

Results

Comment

References (8)

Sustained azoospermia in squirrel monkey, Saimiri sciureus, resulting from a single intratesticular glycerol injection

Contraception

Incidence and clinical significance of subclinical scrotal varicoceles

J Urol

WHO Laboratory Manual for the Examination of Human Semen and Semen-Cervical Mucus Interaction

Cited by (34)

Relationships between DNA oxidative damage, testosterone, and body mass index in sulfur mustard-chemical veterans

Spermatozoa selection in the female reproductive tract: The initiation of the battle of the sexes

Adsorption and sensor applications of C<inf>2</inf>N surface for G-series and mustard series chemical warfare agents

Battle of the Sexes: How the Selection of Spermatozoa in the Female Reproductive Tract Manipulates the Sex Ratio of Offspring

Relationship of oxidative stress with male infertility in sulfur mustard-exposed injuries

Effect of 1-month war in Lebanon on sex ratio

Adult urologyTesticular effect of mustard gas

Abstract

Section snippets

Material and methods

Results

Comment

Contraception

Incidence and clinical significance of subclinical scrotal varicoceles

J Urol

WHO Laboratory Manual for the Examination of Human Semen and Semen-Cervical Mucus Interaction

Adult urology
Testicular effect of mustard gas