Zinc deficiency in men with Crohn's disease may contribute to poor sperm function and male infertility
Corresponding Author
A. M. El-Tawil
Department of Gastroenterology, City Hospital, Birmingham, UK
*Department of Gastroenterology, City Hospital, Dudley Road, Birmingham B18 7QH, UK. Tel.: +44–121–773–5935; Fax: +44–121–446–6220; e-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
A. M. El-Tawil
Department of Gastroenterology, City Hospital, Birmingham, UK
*Department of Gastroenterology, City Hospital, Dudley Road, Birmingham B18 7QH, UK. Tel.: +44–121–773–5935; Fax: +44–121–446–6220; e-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
Summary. In Great Britain, married couples were reported to have between 1.9 and 2.1 children, while men with Crohn's disease had a mean of 1.2 and of 0.4 children before and after diagnosis, respectively. The role of zinc for male fertility is essential. Although lack of zinc in Crohn's disease is well established in up to 70% of patients, a possible relation between zinc deficiency and male subfertility in Crohn's disease remains unclear. This study is aimed at examining a possible link between zinc deficiency in men with Crohn's disease and male subfertility in this group of patients.
References
- Abbasi AA, Prasad AS, Ortega J., Congo E., Oberleas D. (1976) Gonadal function abnormalities in Sickle cell anaemia: studies in adult male patients. Ann Intern Med 85: 601–605.
- Abbasi AA, Prasad AS, Rabbani P., DuMouchelle E. (1980) Experimental zinc deficiency in men: effect on testicular function. J Lab Clin Med 96: 544–550.
- Al-Bader A., Omu AE, Dashti H. (1999) Chronic cadmium toxicity to sperm of heavy cigarette smokers: immunomodulation by zinc. Arch Androl 43: 135–140.
- Anderson KE, Bratt L., Dencker H., Lanner E. (1976) Some aspects of the intestinal absorption of zinc in man. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 9: 423–438.
- Bakalczuk S., Robak-Cholubek D., Jakiel G., Krasucki W. (1994) Level of zinc and magnesium in semen taken from male partners of married infertile couples. Ginekol Pol 65: 67–70.
- Birnie GG, McLeod TI, Watkinson G. (1981) Incidence of sulphasalazine-induced male infertility. Gut 22: 452–455.
- Bunce GE, Vessal M. (1987) Effect of zinc and/or pyridoxine deficiency upon oestrogen retention receptor distribution in the rat uterus. J Steroid Biochem 26: 303–308.
- Burnell D., Mayberry J., Calcraft BJ, Morris JS, Rhodes J. (1986) Male fertility in Crohn's disease. Postgrad Med J 62: 269–272.
- Chvapil M., Stankova L., Weldy PL, Bernhard D., Campbell J., Carlson EC, Cox T., Peacock J., Bartos Z., Zukoski C. (1977) The role of zinc in the function of some inflammatory cells. In: Zinc Metabolism: Current Aspects in Health and Disease. Series: Progress in Clinical and Biological Research, Vol. 14. GJ Brewer, AS Prasad (eds) Alan R. Liss, Inc., New York, pp 103–122.
- D'Inca R. (1999) Effect of moderate exercise on Crohn's disease patients in remission. Ital J Gastroenterol Hepatol 31: 205–210.
- Deflandre J., Weber G., Delbrouck JM, Roelandts I., Robaye G., Brassinne A. (1985) Assay of trace elements in the serum by the PIXE method in patients with Crohn's disease. Gastroenterol Clin Biol 9: 719–725.
- Donaldson LB (1978) Crohn's disease: “its gynaecologic aspect”. Am J Obstet Gynecol 131: 196–202.
- Fagerlund TH, Dahl DG (1983) Zinc deficiency as a complication of Crohn's disease. Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen 103: 999–1000.
- Farthing MJ, Dawson AM (1983) Impaired semen quality in Crohn's disease — drugs, ill health or undernutrition? Scand J Gastroenterol 18: 57–60.
- Fleming CR, Huizenga KA, McCall JT, Gildea J., Dennis R. (1981) Zinc nutrition in Crohn's disease. Dig Dis Sci 26: 865–870.
- Freeman JG, Reece VA, Venables CW (1982) Sulphasalazine and spermatogenesis. Digestion 23: 68–71.
- Fuse H., Kazama T., Ohta S., Fujiuchi Y. (1999) Relationship between zinc concentration in seminal plasma and various sperm parameters. Int Urol Nephrol 31: 401–418.
- Ganong WF (1999a) The adrenal. medulla and adrenal cortex. In: Review of Medical Physiology. WF Ganong (Ed.) McGraw-Hill, New York, pp 340–364.
- Ganong WF (1999b) The gonads: development and function of the reproductive system. In: Review of Medical Physiology. WF Ganong (Ed.) McGraw-Hill, New York, pp 393–432.
- Gavella M., Lipovac C. (1998) In vitro effect of zinc on oxidative changes in human semen. Andrologia 30: 317–323.
- Geerling BJ, Badart-Smook A., Stockbrugger RW, Brummer RJ (1998) Comprehensive nutritional status in patients with long-standing Crohn disease currenüy in remission. Am J Clin Nutr 67: 919–926.
- Hamdi SA, Nassif OI, Ardawi MS (1997) Effect of marginal or severe dietary zinc deficiency on testicular development and functions of the rats. Arch Androl 38: 243–253.
- Hargreave TB (1988) Testis. In: Jamieson & Kay's Textbook of Surgical Physiology. IM Ledingham, C. Mackay (eds) Churchill Livingston, New York, pp 433–444.
- Hartoma TR, Nahoul K., Netter A. (1977) Zinc, plasma androgens and male sterility. Lancet 2: 1125–1126.
- Hendricks KM, Walker WA (1988) Zinc deficiency in inflammatory bowel diseases. Nutr Rev 46: 401–418.
- Henkin RI, Schechter PJ, Hoye R., Mattern CF (1971) Idiopathic hypogeusia with dysgeusia, hyposmia, and dysosmia. A new syndrome. JAMA 217: 434–440.
- Hunt CD, Johnson PE, Herbel J., Mullen LK (1992) Effects of dietary zinc depletion on seminal volume and zinc loss, serum testosterone concentrations and sperm morphology in young men. Am J Clin Nutr 56: 148–157.
- Karbach U., Ewe K., Schramm P. (1982) Quality of semen in patients with Crohn's disease. Z Gastroenterol 20: 314–320.
- Kay RG, Tasman-Jones C. (1975) Zinc deficiency and intravenous feeding. Lancet 2: 605–606.
- Lei KY, Abbasi AA, Prasad AS (1976) Function of pituitarygonadaf axis in zinc-deficient rats. Am J Physiol 230: 1730–1732.
- Levi AJ, Fisher AM, Hughes L., Henry WF (1979) Male infertility due to sulphasalazine. Lancet 2: 276–278.
- McClain CJ (1985) Zinc metabolism in malabsorption syndromes. J Am Col Nutr 4: 49–64.
- Matsui T. (1998) Zinc deficiency in Crohn's disease. J Gastroenterol 33: 924–925.
- Mudge TJ (1982) Semen and sulphasalazine. Clin Reprod Fertil 1: 157–158.
- Naber TH, Van Den Hamer CJ, Baadenhuysen H., Jansen JB (1998) The value of methods to determine zinc deficiency in patients with Crohn's disease. Scand J Gastroenterol 33: 514–523.
- Netter A., Hartoma R., Nahoul K. (1981) Effect of zinc administration on plasma testosterone, dihydrosterosterone, and sperm count. Arch Androl 7: 69–73.
- O'Morain C., Smethurst P., Dore CJ, Levi AJ (1984) Reversible male infertility due to sulphasalazine studies in man and rat. Gut 25: 1078–1084.
- Penny WJ, Mayberry JF, Aggett PJ, Gilbert JO, Newcombe RG, Rhodes J. (1983) Relationship between trace elements, sugar consumption, and taste in Crohn's disease. Gut 24: 288–292.
- Pories WJ, Henzel JH, Rob CG, Strain WH (1967) Acceleration of healing with zinc sulfate. Ann Surg 165: 432–436.
- Prasad AS, Rabbani P., Abbasi A., Bowersox E., Fox MR (1978) Experimental zinc deficiency in humans. Ann Intern Med 89: 483–490.
- Sandstead HH, Howard L. (1982) Zinc deficiency in Crohn's disease. Nutr Rev 40: 109–112.
- Sandstead HH, Prasad AS, Schulert AR, Farid Z., Miale A., Jr, Bassilly S., Daby WJ (1967) Human zinc deficiency, endocrine manifestations and response to treatment. Am J Clin Nutr 20: 422–442.
- Scholmerich J., Wietholtz H., Buchsel R., Kottgen E., Lohle E., Gerok W. (1984) Zinc and vitamin A deficiency in gastrointestinal diseases. Leber, Magen, Darm 14: 288–295.
- Sjoogren A., Floren CH, Nilsson A. (1988) Evaluation of zinc status in subjects with Crohn's disease. J Am Coll Nutr 7: 57–60.
- Skandhan KP, Skandhan S., Mehta YB (1978) Semen electrolytes in normal and infertile subjects. II Zinc. Experientia 34: 1476–1477.
- Smith JC Jr, McDaniel EG, Fan FF, Halsted JA (1973) Zinc: a trace element essential in vitamin A metabolism. Science 181: 954–955.
- Smith JE, Brown ED, Smith JC, Jr (1974) The effect of zinc deficiency on the metabolism of retinal-binding protein in the rat. J Lab Clin Med 84: 692–697.
- Smith JC, Jr, Brown ED, McDaniel EG, Chan W. (1976) Alterations in vitamin A metabolism during zinc deficiency and food and growth restoration. J Nutr 106: 569–574.
- Solomons NW, Rosenfield RL, Jacob RA, Sandstead HH (1976) Growth retardation and zinc nutrition. Pediat Res 10: 923–927.
- Solomons NW, Rosenberg IH, Sandstead HH, Vo-Khactu KP (1977) Zinc deficiency in Crohn's disease. Digestive 16: 87–95.
- Sorensen MB, Stoltenberg M., Danscher G., Ernest E. (1999) Chelation of intracellular zinc ions affects human sperm cell motility. Mol Hum Reprod 5: 338–341.
- Steinberg SE (1985) Zinc deficiency in Crohn's disease. Compr Ther 11: 34–38.
- Stoll R., Schmidt H., Stern H., Ruppin H., Domschke W. (1987) Functional defect of zinc transport in patients with Crohn's disease. Hepatogastroenterology 34: 178–181.
- Summers RW, Switz DM, Sessions JT, Becktec JM, Best WR, Kern F., Singleton JW (1979) National co-operative Crohn's disease study. Results of drug treatment. Gastroenterology 77: 847–869.
- Sverko V. (1999) In vitro inhibition of superoxide anion production and superoxide dismutase activity by zinc in human spermatozoa. Int J Androl 22: 266–274.
- Takihara H., Cosentino MJ, Cochett AT (1983) Effect of low-dose androgen and zinc sulphate on sperm motility and seminal zinc levels in infertile men. Urology 22: 160–164.
- Tasman-Jones C. (1980) Zinc deficiency states. Adv Int Med 26: 97–114.
- Toovey S., Hudson E., Henry WF, Levi AJ (1981) Sulphasalazine and male infertility: reversibility and possible mechanism. Gut 22: 445–451.
- Toth A. (1979) Reversible toxic effect of salicylazosulfapyridine on semen quality. Fertil Steril 31: 538–540.
- Valberg LS, Flanagan PR, Kertesz A., Bondy DC (1986) Zinc absorption in inflammatory bowel diseases. Dig Dis Sci 31: 724–731.
- Vallee BL, Galdes A. (1984) The metallobiochemistry of zinc enzymes. Adv Enzymol Relat Areas Mol Biol 56: 283–430.
- Wermer R. (1984) Family size and age at childbirth: trends and projections. Popul Trends 33: 4.
- Weston WL, Huff JC, Humbert JR, Hambidge KM, Neldner KH, Walravens PA (1977) Zinc correction of defective chemotaxis in acrodermatitis enteropathica. Arch Dermatol 113: 422–425.