Researchers also understand that anxiety affects conception and sperm count because the brain has a strong link to the reproductive system. Women’s menstruation cycles might be skipped as a result of mental distress.
This new research, posted in Environmental Health Perspectives on Sept. 8, ties the dots on how inhaling dirty air could reduce infertility.
Inflammation In Brain Affects Sperm Counts, New Research Shows
According to experts in the field of medical science, the brain is the center of the body that controls not only the functions of organs but also many other things.
The human brain is still a mystery for modern medical science, and hence a number of studies have to be conducted to know its various aspects.
In the latest research, it has been found that the brain also has a direct relationship with sperm counts in mails and decides one’s fertility. If the neurons in the brain get inflammation, it may have an effect on the sperm count also.
Scientists had understood for a long time that air quality could raise the incidence of illnesses, including overweight, diabetes even infertility, but they didn’t understand when.
Charles Hong, MD, Ph.D., the Melvin Sharoky, MD Professor in Medicine and Director of Cardiology Research said, “These findings have wider implications than just fertility, as there are many conditions, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease that can result from brain inflammation due to air pollution.”
“Our findings showed that the damage due to air pollution, at least to the sperm count, could be remedied by removing a single inflammation marker in the brains of mice, suggesting that we may be able to develop therapies that could prevent or reverse the damaging effects of air pollution on fertility,” said lead study author Zhekang Ying, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine.
Around 92 percent of the globe’s populace resides in locations where fine particles levels in the breath fewer than 2.5 micrometers in dimension surpass the World Health Organization’s minimal safe criteria. Car exhaust, manufacturing pollutants, fires, and wood-burning stoves were all potential producers of these nanoparticles.
Previous research has found that mice subjected to air pollutants did never necessarily exhibit inflammation of the testicles, implying that a different process could be to blame for lower sperm numbers. The scientists investigated if air contamination promoted inflammation in the brains, given the clear relationship between the nervous system and sex functions.
“Looking back, it makes perfect sense that the neurons in the hypothalamus are the culprits perpetuating this inflammation response that results in low sperm count, as we know that the hypothalamus is a major pathway link between the brain and the reproductive system,” said Dr. Ying.
The scientists next deleted IKK2 in specific synapses to learn more about how air pollutants affect sperm production. They discovered that a particular type of neuron related to the sleeping cycles with overweight is to blame for the lower sperm counts caused by air pollutants. Those neurons are often located in the hypothalamic, a brain region that regulates appetite, hydration, and sexual desire. The hypothalamus also collaborates with pituitary glands in the brains and produces substances that immediately interact with the sex organs.
E. Albert Reece, MD, Ph.D., MBA, UM Baltimore’s Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs and UMSOM’s John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor and Dean, said, “Environmental pollution is a problem of equity in that some persons who are poor or of color tend to face more severe health-related conditions due to greater exposure. It is important to explore the mechanisms by which pollution affects the body, so we can devise ways to prevent or treat these conditions to eliminate these health disparities.”
