Fertility and Sterility
Volume 97, Issue 1 , Pages 39-45.e2 , January 2012

Use of laptop computers connected to internet through Wi-Fi decreases human sperm motility and increases sperm DNA fragmentation

  • Conrado Avendaño, M.S.

      Affiliations

    • Nascentis Medicina Reproductiva, Córdoba, Argentina
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint requests: Conrado Avendaño, M.S., Nascentis Medicina Reproductiva, Montevideo 359, Córdoba, Córdoba X5000AXA, Argentina.
  • ,
  • Ariela Mata, M.S.

      Affiliations

    • Nascentis Medicina Reproductiva, Córdoba, Argentina
  • ,
  • César A. Sanchez Sarmiento, M.D., Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Nascentis Medicina Reproductiva, Córdoba, Argentina
  • ,
  • Gustavo F. Doncel, M.D., Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • CONRAD, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, Virginia

Received 14 June 2011 ,Revised 9 September 2011 ,Accepted 11 October 2011.

References 

  1. Paulius K, Napoles P, Maguina P. Thigh burn associated with laptop computer use. J Burn Care Res. 2008;29:842–844
  2. Ostenson CG. Lap burn due to laptop computer. Lancet. 2002;360:1704
  3. Sheynkin Y, Jung M, Yoo P, Schulsinger D, Komaroff E. Increase in scrotal temperature in laptop computer users. Hum Reprod. 2005;20:452–455
  4. World Health Organization. WHO research agenda for radio frequency fields. Available at: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2010/9789241599948_eng.pdf. Accessed May 11, 2011.
  5. Boivin J, Bunting L, Collins JA, Nygren KG. International estimates of infertility prevalence and treatment-seeking: potential need and demand for infertility medical care. Hum Reprod. 2007;22:1506–1512
  6. ESHRE Capri Workshop Group. Europe, the continent with the lowest fertility. Hum Reprod Update. 2010;16:590–602
  7. Agarwal A, Desai NR, Ruffoli R, Carpi A. Lifestyle and testicular dysfunction: a brief update. Biomed Pharmacother. 2008;62:550–553
  8. Friedman J, Kraus S, Hauptman Y, Schiff Y, Seger R. Mechanism of short-term ERK activation by electromagnetic fields at mobile phone frequencies. Biochem J. 2007;405:559–568
  9. Lupke M, Frahm J, Lantow M, Maercker C, Remondini D, Bersani F, et al. Gene expression analysis of ELF-MF exposed human monocytes indicating the involvement of the alternative activation pathway. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2006;1763:402–412
  10. Yamaguchi DT, Huang J, Ma D, Wang PK. Inhibition of gap junction intercellular communication by extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields in osteoblast-like models is dependent on cell differentiation. J Cell Physiol. 2002;190:180–188
  11. Volkow ND, Tomasi D, Wang GJ, Vaska P, Fowler JS, Telang F, et al. Effects of cell phone radiofrequency signal exposure on brain glucose metabolism. JAMA. 2011;305:808–813
  12. Cuccurazzu B, Leone L, Podda MV, Piacentini R, Riccardi E, Ripoli C, et al. Exposure to extremely low-frequency (50 Hz) electromagnetic fields enhances adult hippocampal neurogenesis in C57BL/6 mice. Exp Neurol. 2010;226:173–182
  13. Blank M. Do electromagnetic fields interact with electrons in the Na, K-ATPase?. Bioelectromagnetics. 2005;26:677–683
  14. Palumbo R, Capasso D, Brescia F, Mita P, Sarti M, Bersani F, et al. Effects on apoptosis and reactive oxygen species formation by Jurkat cells exposed to 50 Hz electromagnetic fields. Bioelectromagnetics. 2006;27:159–162
  15. Aitken RJ, Wingate JK, De Iuliis GN, Koppers AJ, McLaughlin EA. Cis-unsaturated fatty acids stimulate reactive oxygen species generation and lipid peroxidation in human spermatozoa. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2006;91:4154–4163
  16. Avendano C, Franchi A, Duran H, Oehninger S. DNA fragmentation of normal spermatozoa negatively impacts embryo quality and intracytoplasmic sperm injection outcome. Fertil Steril. 2010;94:549–557
  17. Aitken RJ, De Iuliis GN. Origins and consequences of DNA damage in male germ cells. Reprod Biomed Online. 2007;14:727–733
  18. Pacey AA. Environmental and lifestyle factors associated with sperm DNA damage. Hum Fertil (Camb). 2010;13:189–193
  19. Aitken RJ, Bennetts LE, Sawyer D, Wiklendt AM, King BV. Impact of radio frequency electromagnetic radiation on DNA integrity in the male germline. Int J Androl. 2005;28:171–179
  20. Erogul O, Oztas E, Yildirim I, Kir T, Aydur E, Komesli G, et al. Effects of electromagnetic radiation from a cellular phone on human sperm motility: an in vitro study. Arch Med Res. 2006;37:840–843
  21. Yan JG, Agresti M, Bruce T, Yan YH, Granlund A, Matloub HS. Effects of cellular phone emissions on sperm motility in rats. Fertil Steril. 2007;88:957–964
  22. Agarwal A, Desai NR, Makker K, Varghese A, Mouradi R, Sabanegh E, et al. Effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic waves (RF-EMW) from cellular phones on human ejaculated semen: an in vitro pilot study. Fertil Steril. 2009;92:1318–1325
  23. Menkveld R, Kruger TF. Sperm morphology—predictive value?. Fertil Steril. 1992;57:942–943
  24. Foster KR. Radiofrequency exposure from wireless LANs utilizing Wi-Fi technology. Health Phys. 2007;92:280–289
  25. World Health Organization. WHO laboratory manual for the examination of and procesing of human semen. 5th ed. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press; 2010;
  26. Avendano C, Franchi A, Taylor S, Morshedi M, Bocca S, Oehninger S. Fragmentation of DNA in morphologically normal human spermatozoa. Fertil Steril. 2009;91:1077–1084
  27. Cooper TG, Noonan E, von Eckardstein S, Auger J, Baker HW, Behre HM, et al. World Health Organization reference values for human semen characteristics. Hum Reprod Update. 2010;16:231–245
  28. Thonneau P, Marchand S, Tallec A, Ferial ML, Ducot B, Lansac J, et al. Incidence and main causes of infertility in a resident population (1,850,000) of three French regions (1988–1989). Hum Reprod. 1991;6:811–816
  29. Sheynkin Y, Welliver R, Winer A, Hajimirzaee F, Ahn H, Lee K. Protection from scrotal hyperthermia in laptop computer users. Fertil Steril. 2011;95:647–651
  30. Thonneau P, Bujan L, Multigner L, Mieusset R. Occupational heat exposure and male fertility: a review. Hum Reprod. 1998;13:2122–2125
  31. Tremellen K. Oxidative stress and male infertility—a clinical perspective. Hum Reprod Update. 2008;14:243–258
  32. Plante M, de Lamirande E, Gagnon C. Reactive oxygen species released by activated neutrophils, but not by deficient spermatozoa, are sufficient to affect normal sperm motility. Fertil Steril. 1994;62:387–393
  33. Mahfouz R, Sharma R, Thiyagarajan A, Kale V, Gupta S, Sabanegh E, et al. Semen characteristics and sperm DNA fragmentation in infertile men with low and high levels of seminal reactive oxygen species. Fertil Steril. 2010;94:2141–2146
  34. Pasqualotto FF, Sharma RK, Nelson DR, Thomas AJ, Agarwal A. Relationship between oxidative stress, semen characteristics, and clinical diagnosis in men undergoing infertility investigation. Fertil Steril. 2000;73:459–464
  35. Falzone N, Huyser C, Fourie F, Toivo T, Leszczynski D, Franken D. In vitro effect of pulsed 900 MHz GSM radiation on mitochondrial membrane potential and motility of human spermatozoa. Bioelectromagnetics. 2008;29:268–276
  36. Falzone N, Huyser C, Becker P, Leszczynski D, Franken DR. The effect of pulsed 900-MHz GSM mobile phone radiation on the acrosome reaction, head morphometry and zona binding of human spermatozoa. Int J Androl. 2010;34:20–26
  37. De Iuliis GN, Newey RJ, King BV, Aitken RJ. Mobile phone radiation induces reactive oxygen species production and DNA damage in human spermatozoa in vitro. PLoS One. 2009;4:e6446
  38. Falzone N, Huyser C, Franken DR, Leszczynski D. Mobile phone radiation does not induce pro-apoptosis effects in human spermatozoa. Radiat Res. 2010;174:169–176
  39. Diem E, Schwarz C, Adlkofer F, Jahn O, Rudiger H. Non-thermal DNA breakage by mobile-phone radiation (1800 MHz) in human fibroblasts and in transformed GFSH-R17 rat granulosa cells in vitro. Mutat Res. 2005;583:178–183
  40. Lee S, Johnson D, Dunbar K, Dong H, Ge X, Kim YC, et al. 2.45 GHz radiofrequency fields alter gene expression in cultured human cells. FEBS Lett. 2005;579:4829–4836
  41. Paulraj R, Behari J. Single strand DNA breaks in rat brain cells exposed to microwave radiation. Mutat Res. 2006;596:76–80
  42. Bernabo N, Tettamanti E, Russo V, Martelli A, Turriani M, Mattoli M, et al. Extremely low frequency electromagnetic field exposure affects fertilization outcome in swine animal model. Theriogenology. 2010;73:1293–1305
  43. Moustafa YM, Moustafa RM, Belacy A, Abou-El-Ela SH, Ali FM. Effects of acute exposure to the radiofrequency fields of cellular phones on plasma lipid peroxide and antioxidase activities in human erythrocytes. J Pharm Biomed Anal. 2001;26:605–608
  44. Eddy EM. The spermatozoon. In:  Knobil E,  Neil J editor. The physiology of reproduction. New York: Raven Press; 1994;3–54
  45. Turner TT. On the epididymis and its role in the development of the fertile ejaculate. J Androl. 1995;16:292–298

 C.A. has nothing to disclose. A.M. has nothing to disclose. C.A.S.S. has nothing to disclose. G.F.D. has nothing to disclose.

PII: S0015-0282(11)02678-1

doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2011.10.012

Fertility and Sterility
Volume 97, Issue 1 , Pages 39-45.e2 , January 2012