Does exposure to inhalation anesthesia gases change the ratio of X-bearing sperms and Y-bearing Sperms? A worth exploring project into an uncharted domain

Med Hypotheses. 2016 Sep:94:68-73. doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2016.07.002. Epub 2016 Jul 5.

Abstract

According to recent surveys performed in United States and India, anesthesia care providers were observed to have sired female offspring in a higher proportion than male offspring as their firstborn progeny; however, the reasons for the skew are not clear. Our hypothesis is that the underlying biological evidence may be elucidated by unraveling differences (if any) between the concentrations of X-bearing sperms and Y-bearing sperms in the semen samples obtained from males exposed to varied levels of anesthetics in their lifetimes. Therefore, the objectives of the envisaged study would be to conduct a three-stage investigative study on in-vitro human semen samples to determine (a) X-bearing sperms and Y-bearing sperms concentrations' ratio in male pediatric anesthesia care providers' semen samples, (b) changes in X-bearing sperms and Y-bearing sperms concentrations' ratios between the pre-rotation and post-rotation semen samples of male medical student volunteers/observers, and (c) changes in X-bearing sperms and Y-bearing sperms concentrations' ratios between the pre-operative and post-operative day-3 semen samples of male patients presenting for outpatient procedures under inhalational anesthesia. The expected outcomes would be (a) linear and positive correlation of the anesthetic gas usage (exposure) with increased X-bearing sperms/Y-bearing sperms ratio in post-anesthesia day 3 sample as compared to the baseline preoperative sample, (b) linear and positive correlation of the anesthetic gas usage (exposure) with increased X-bearing sperms/Y-bearing sperms ratio in post-rotation sample as compared to the baseline sample, and (c) observation of high X-bearing sperms/Y-bearing sperms ratio in the pediatric anesthesia care providers. In summary, effects (if any) of occupational or personal exposure to inhalational anesthetic gases on the X-bearing sperms and Y-bearing sperms ratio is a worthy project wherein lots of questions that have arisen over decades could find the path to their definitive answers, based on envisaged laboratory investigations into this uncharted domain.

MeSH terms

  • Anesthetics, Inhalation / pharmacology*
  • Body Mass Index
  • Chromosomes, Human, X
  • Chromosomes, Human, Y
  • Female
  • Gases
  • Healthy Volunteers
  • Humans
  • In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence
  • India
  • Male
  • Models, Theoretical
  • Occupational Exposure*
  • Pediatricians
  • Postoperative Period
  • Preoperative Period
  • Semen / drug effects*
  • Sex Ratio
  • Spermatozoa / drug effects*
  • Students, Medical
  • United States

Substances

  • Anesthetics, Inhalation
  • Gases