Dear Colleagues,

Considerable concern has been raised worldwide in recent decades in regard to the potential harm of environmental toxicants on male reproductive function, supported by evidence of geographical heterogeneity in semen quality, and further corroborated by experimental studies. It has now been clearly shown that many substances which can be found in the background ambience and whose human exposure occurs at persistent, non-occupational levels might exert detrimental actions on testicular function, including both endocrine function and spermatogenesis. Differential mechanisms of action have been suggested to be involved in deleterious outcomes in any segment of the male population from fetal to adult life, which include congenital urogenital malformations, hypospadias, cryptorchidism, poor semen quality, and urogenital malignancies, to name a few, although the most consistent effects have been provided by experimental in vitro and in vivo studies in animal models. Endocrine disruption is thought to be mainly involved in such derangements; nevertheless, much attention has been devoted to the role of oxidative stress, DNA damage, and, lately, epigenetics. Sperm epigenetics provides a link between the impact of environmental exposures on gamete function and male fertility and transgenerational effects on embryonic developmental trajectories by adversely affecting descendants health.

Submissions for this Special Issue may include clinical studies on environmentally relevant (non-occupational) exposure, and/or translational and in vivo or in vitro experimental studies in animal models, focusing on the effects of endocrine disruptors and other environmental pollutants on any aspect of sperm physiology and semen quality; original research articles addressing either individual or transgenerational effects of exposures are welcome, along with, but not limited to, studies addressing multiple exposures and interactions between biological and toxic substances. Studies on exposure/risk assessment, and aimed at defining adverse outcome pathways (AOP) in the field of male reproductive toxicology, particularly sperm physiology, will also be considered for publication.

Dr. Cristina de Angelis
Guest Editor

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• Male fertility
• Semen quality
• Testis function
• Environmental pollutants
• Endocrine disruptor
• Epigenetics
• Oxidative stress
• DNA damage
• Neuroendocrine
• Chronobiology