Correlation of chlorinated pesticides concentration in semen with seminal vesicle and prostatic markers

Semen samples of fertile and infertile men were analysed by gas liquid chromatography (GLC) for the presence of dichlorodiphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT) and its metabolites (1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl) ethylene) (pp'-DDE); (1, 1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl ethane) (pp-DDT); (1,1-dichloro-2,2 bis(p-chlorophenyl) ethane) (pp'-DDD); (1,1,1-trichloro-2-(o-chlorophenyl)-2-(p-chlorophenyl) ethane) (op'-DDT), hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) and its isomers alpha (alpha), beta (beta), gamma ( gamma), delta (delta) and aldrin. The biochemical analysis of seminal vesicle and prostatic marker was done by spectrophotometer. The concentrations of alpha-, beta-, gamma-HCH, pp'-DDE and pp'-DDD were higher in the semen of infertile than in that of fertile men. An elevation in the fructose level along with decrease in the gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase and acid phosphatase activity was noticed in infertile men as compared to fertile subjects. The data showed correlation between alpha-, beta-, gamma-HCH, pp'-DDE, pp'-DDD and seminal vesicle marker fructose and prostatic marker gamma-gluatamyl transpeptidase and acid phosphatase in infertile men. The study suggests that the chlorinated pesticides may influence the semen quality by affecting the seminal and prostatic functions in infertile men. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.