Heavy metals are endocrine disruptors which interfere with processes mediated by endogenous hormones of the organism, negatively affecting endocrine functions. Some studies have correlated heavy metal exposure with male infertility. However, the number of studies conducted on humans are limited. Therefore, the aim of this study is to summarize the current knowledge on how heavy metals influence human male fertility. Hence, three distinct databases were consulted—PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science—using single keywords and combinations of them. The total number of identified articles was 636. Nevertheless, by using the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 144 articles were finally included in this work. Results display that the development of adequate instruments for heavy metal assessment may play an important function in human male fertility diagnosis and treatment. Furthermore, clinical trials could be useful to confirm the role of heavy metals in human male fertility diagnosis. Overall, further research is required to fully understand the molecular and cellular basis of the influence of environmental and occupational exposure to heavy metals on human male infertility and reproductive outcomes.

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重金属对人类男性生育能力的影响——概述

重金属是内分泌干扰物，会干扰由生物体内源性激素介导的过程，对内分泌功能产生负面影响。一些研究将重金属暴露与男性不育联系起来。然而，对人类进行的研究数量有限。因此，本研究的目的是总结目前关于重金属如何影响人类男性生育能力的知识。因此，使用单个关键字及其组合查询了三个不同的数据库——PubMed、Scopus 和 Web of Science。确定的文章总数为 636。 尽管如此，通过使用纳入和排除标准，最终有 144 篇文章被纳入这项工作。结果表明，开发适当的重金属评估工具可能在人类男性生育力的诊断和治疗中发挥重要作用。此外，临床试验可能有助于确认重金属在人类男性生育能力诊断中的作用。总体而言，需要进一步研究以充分了解环境和职业接触重金属对人类男性不育和生殖结果的影响的分子和细胞基础。