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Effects of fluoride toxicity on the male reproductive system: A review.Abstract
Background
Fluoride toxicity and fluorosis is an emerging global problem. Fluoride has long been added to water for dental caries prevention; however, it has a variety of damaging consequences on human bodies. The aim of this paper is to analyse all the literature available on the effects of fluoride toxicity on male reproductive system.
Methods
Research papers were collected using various methods of data collection like Pubmed, Scopus, and Google Scholar from 1980 to 2024, and then reviewed thoroughly.
Results
Fluoride is known to cause various histopathological and biochemical alterations in the male reproductive system. It also affects fertility, semen quality, sperm number and quality,the process of spermatogenesis and spermiogenesis. Key changes caused by fluoride in male reproductive system include structural defects in the flagellum, acrosome, and nucleus of spermatids and epididymal spermatozoa. Degenerative changes in Leydig cells result in reduced testosterone production, causing regression of seminiferous tubules and structural damage to the epididymis, ultimately terminating spermatogenesis which leads to infertility. Decrease in levels of testosterone and activities of various antioxidant enzymes resulting in greater oxidative stress was also seen.
Conclusions
Fluoride has various detrimental effects on male reproductive system and overall reproductive health. This type of study is important for understanding the effects of fluoride toxicity so that health officials can guide public about safe fluoride exposure limits and the damages it can cause in higher concentrations. Studies using various natural and synthetic ameliorative substances mentioned in the text later can prove to be helpful for development of various therapeutic approaches to mitigate the effects of fluoride toxicity.
Abstract online at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0946672X24001421
Section snippets
Methodology
Pubmed, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases were searched in May 2024 for publications containing at least one of the following keywords: “fluoride”,“fluoride toxicity”, “male reproductive system”in any combination in the title, abstract or MeSH terms. The search was done for publications dated from 1980 to 2024. This search yielded various papers related to fluorides. One hundred and thirty papers provided relevant information for our study objective. Related references are included.
Results
. (In-silico studies).
| S.No. | Experiment animal | Experiment doses and duration | Conclusion | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Mice (As given in the data source) | 150 mg/L for 49 days (As given in the data source) | 3 miRNA prediction tools (TargetScan, DIANA-microT-CDS, and Microcosm) were used to identify 3059 miRNAs (11 miRNAs common in three softwares) targeting 63 genes that were downregulated in mouse sperm due to fluoride exposure. Previous studies showed that seven mRNAs from these predicted mRNAs (miR-9-5p, |
Summary
In conclusion, the thorough analysis of literature has given many alterations that have been caused by fluoride toxicity. Fluoride toxicity can cause histological and biochemical alterations in the cells of male reproductive system. It is also seen to affect fertility rate, sperm quality, sperm count, viability, weight of the organ etc. Tables A1–A6 give the brief details of the research done over past 44 years in this field.
Table A1 gives the account of in-silico study that has been done, 3
Discussion
The maintenance of the structural and functional integrity of accessory reproductive organs requires a continuous supply of androgens. Marked reductions in the weight of testes and accessory sex organs might have been due to the hormonal imbalance caused by fluoride toxicity. The availability of androgens is directly related to the weight of accessory sex organs [88], [122]. After exposure to fluoride, decrease in the growth of the testis and other accessory sex organs along with sperm motility