Diabetes affects male fertility

 

Diabetic men have greater levels of DNA damage to their sperm, which could affect their fertility, according to new research.

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Researchers at Queen’s University Belfast conducted the first study of its kind by comparing the sperm of diabetic and non-diabetic men.

The team demonstrated that the DNA in the nuclei of sperm cells had a greater level of fragmentation in diabetic men.

Additionally, there were also more deletions of DNA in the tiny, energy-generating structures in the cells called mitochondria found in the sperm.

Queen’s research fellow Dr Ishola Agbaje said: "As far as we know, this is the first report of the quality of DNA in the nucleus and mitochondria of sperm in diabetes.

"Our study identifies important evidence of increased DNA fragmentation of nuclear DNA and mitochondrial DNA deletions in sperm from diabetic men. These findings cause concern, as they may have implications for fertility."

Dr Agbaje and his colleagues examined sperm from 27 diabetic men in their thirties and found, that although semen volume was significantly less in diabetic men, there were no significant differences in sperm concentration, total sperm output, form and structure of the sperm or their ability to move.

However, when they measured DNA damage they found that the percentage of fragmented nuclear DNA was significantly higher in sperm from the diabetic men and that the number of deletions in mitochondrial DNA was also higher.

Diabetes on the rise

The incidence of type 1 and type 2 diabetes is increasing rapidly worldwide.

While diet and obesity are known to be key factors in the increase of type 2 (or late onset) diabetes, type 1 diabetes - usually diagnosed in childhood or adolescence - is increasing by three per cent a year in European children, although the reason for this is not entirely clear.

Genetic factors that make people more susceptible, or environmental factors such as viruses that may trigger the onset of type 1 diabetes, could play a role.

Dr Agbaje continued: "Infertility is already a major health problem in both the developed and developing world, with up to one in six couples requiring specialist investigation or treatment in order to conceive.

"Moreover, the last 50 years have seen an apparent decline in semen quality. Sperm disorders are thought to cause or contribute to infertility in 40-50 per cent of infertile couples.

"The increasing incidence of systemic diseases such as diabetes may further exacerbate this decline in male fertility," Dr Agbaje added.

"However, it is not clear to what extent clinics consider information about the diabetic status of their patients when investigating fertility problems."

Professor Sheena Lewis, of Queen’s Reproductive Medicine Research Group, said: "It was not possible to determine from this current study whether the DNA damage caused by diabetes would have the same effect on men's fertility as DNA damage caused by other factors such as smoking.

"This is just one, relatively small study that highlights a possible concern. Further studies need to be carried out in order to understand the precise nature of the diabetes-related damage, the causal mechanisms and the clinical significance," she concluded.

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