Phthalates are compounds found in plastics and personal care products. Exposure to phthalates disrupts some hormones and it is associated with changes in male reproductive measures of semen quality and androgen levels.
DNA methylation, one mechanism of epigenetics, is a chemical tag on DNA that does not change the gene sequence but is involved in controlling gene expression.
Father's environmental health contributes to reproductive success. For sperm to mature in three months, it shows that the preconception time-period may represent an important developmental window by which environmental exposures may influence sperm epigenetics early life development.
The researchers examined men's urine samples at the IVF clinic the same day they donated sperm, measured 17 metabolites from 8 different phthalate parent compounds in that sample, then performed DNA methylation analyses on sperm cells to examine statistical associations.
DNA was extracted and analyzed on a genomics system that examines many sites for DNA methylation on sperm used for IVF. Researchers identified many regions of interest in assessing a correlation between phthalate metabolite exposure and DNA methylation.
Some of the region examined were associated with at least one of the phthalate metabolites, most of the phthalates that were associated with sperm DNA methylation were known or suspected to be anti-androgenic compounds, which means they can influence hormones. After examining the biological pathways, or common links between genes, that might be affected in these regions that were identified.
Researchers discovered that many of the regions were related to genes involved in growth and development and cellular function and maintenance.
Some of the sperm DNA methylation regions were associated with poor blastocyst stage of embryo quality as defined by the IVF clinic's standards related to embryo quality before transfer into the uterus of the female partner to establish a pregnancy.
Sperm carry some of environmental legacy to the next generation. What the sperm cell encounters during development can influence these DNA methylation and it may have an effect on the developing embryo and offspring.
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