Low sperm count found associated with excess of prenatal testosteroneLow sperm count found associated with excess of prenatal testosterone

According to a study, exposure to excess of sex steroids such as testosterone during fetal development can lead to reduced sperm count and motility.

It was remarked by Professor Sergio Recabarren of the University of Concepcion in Chillan, Chile and lead author of the study that most sperm count disorders originate during fetal life.

From Sciencedaily.com:

Prenatal exposure to excess sexual steroids can occur in two ways, said Dr. Recabarren. First, the exposure may be a product of increased sexual steroids in the maternal environment due to a hormonal condition such as polycystic ovary syndrome. Second, humans are exposed to several industrial pollutants which can act as steroid mimics, causing the body to inhibit or accelerate native steroid production.

In this study, researchers treated pregnant sheep with 30 mg testosterone propionate twice weekly from days 30 to 90 of pregnancy and with 40 mg testosterone propionate from days 90 to 120 of pregnancy. They found a

--> significant reduction in body weight, scrotal circumference, and sperm count in male sheep born to these mothers compared with control sheep.

"While this research involved sheep, it can certainly be argued that in humans, exposure to an excess of sexual steroids during fetal development could constitute a potential risk factor that may conduct to a low sperm count," said Dr. Recabarren.

Other researchers on this study were Pedro Rojas-Garcia, Monica Recabarren, and Victor Alfaro of the University of Concepcion in Chillan, Chile; Rosita Smith and Teresa Sir-Petermann of the University of Chile in Santiago; and Vasantha Padmanabhan of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.