Reproductive toxicity of low-level lead exposure in men.

Parameters of semen quality, seminal plasma indicators of secretory function of the prostate and seminal vesicles, sex hormones in serum, and biomarkers of lead, cadmium, copper, zinc, and selenium body burden were measured in 240 Croatian men 19-52 years of age. The subjects had no occupational exposure to metals and no known other reasons suspected of influencing male reproductive function or metal metabolism. After adjusting for age, smoking, alcohol, blood cadmium, and serum copper, zinc, and selenium by multiple regression, significant (P<0.

Semen quality and reproductive endocrine function with regard to blood cadmium in Croatian male subjects.

In 123 Croatian men with no occupational exposure to metals, the influence of cadmium on reproductive parameters was examined after adjusting for age, smoking, alcohol, and biomarkers of lead, copper, zinc, and selenium. The following variables were measured: blood cadmium (BCd), blood lead (BPb), activity of delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD), erythrocyte protoporphyrin, serum copper (SCu), serum zinc (SZn), serum selenium (SSe), activity of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in blood, testis size, semen quality (including sperm concentration, motility, viability, and morphology), indicators in seminal fluid (the lactate dehydrogenase isoenzyme LDH-C4, fructose, zinc, acid phosphatase, and citric acid), and hormones in serum (follicle-stimulating hormone--FSH, luteinizing hormone, prolactin, testosterone, and estradiol). The median and range BCd values were 2.

Lead effect on blood pressure in moderately lead-exposed male workers.

Background: The effect of lead (Pb) and potential confounding variables on blood pressure was examined in healthy male industrial workers 20-43 years of age.

Methods: In 100 Pb workers and 51 reference subjects, the following variables were measured: blood Pb (BPb), activity of delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD), erythrocyte protoporphyrin (EP), blood cadmium (BCd), serum zinc (SZn), serum copper (SCu), hematocrit (Hct), body mass index (BMI), and blood pressure. The inter-relationship of biomarkers of Pb (BPb, ALAD, EP) and BCd, SZn, SCu, Hct, BMI, age, smoking, and alcohol to systolic and diastolic blood pressure was calculated by forward stepwise multiple regression.