Deleterious effects of seminal plasma from smokers on spermatozoa from non-smokers

Abstract

Cigarette smoking is a serious problem of our society. Men who are habitual smokers tend to have poor semen quality. The possible detrimental effects of smoking on sperm cells are of great interest but the data available to support this statement are somewhat elusive. The aim of this study was to provide evidence that cigarette smoking affects male fertility via altering the sperm quality. In this regard, we evaluated the direct effect of seminal plasma (SP) (in different dilutions with PBS) from smokers (SMs) on sperm from non-smokers (NSMs). Our results indicate that exposure of spermatozoa from the NSM to the SP from the SM yielded a decline in the sperm viability and reduced glutathione (GSH) content, and an elevation in the peroxidative damage to membranous elements detected by increase in the malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, in a certain time course. Interestingly, exposure of spermatozoa from the SM to the SP from the NSMs containing 0.02 mM trolox resulted in the significant improvement in sperm dysfunction indicating removal of SM's SP and then subsequent reconstitution with SP containing antioxidants could be of therapeutic significance in the various assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) applied for smokers.

Keywords:

• GSH
• membrane integrity
• seminal plasma
• smoking
• sperm
• viability

Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank Dr N. Eftekhari for the management of statistical analyses and preparation of manuscript and Mr S.R. Seidaei for technical assistance.