Title:The Influence of Cigarette Smoking on Sperm Quality and Sperm Membrane Integrity
VOLUME: 12 ISSUE: 1
Author(s):Nyaz Shelko, Mohammed F. Hamad, Mathias Montenarh and Mohamam E. Hammadeh
Affiliation:Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Saarland, Homburg/Saar, Germany.
Keywords:Smoke, sperm, standard parameters, membrane integrity.
Abstract:This study aimed to examine the effects of smoking cigarettes on the
sperm feature of healthy, normospermia and subnormospermia men. 420 samples of
semen were derived from healthy patients and categorized into two groups;
normospermia (G. I, n=100; A: smokers=50, B: non-smokers=50) and
subnormospermia (G.II; n=320; A: smokers=160, B: non-smokers=160). Semen
analysis was performed for all samples. Sperm vitality was assessed with Eosin test
and Hypo-osmotic swelling test (HOS-Test) and was utilized to test the membrane
integrity of the sperm. It was determined that heavy smoking (greater than 20
cigarettes per day) was significantly correlated with a decrease in sperm
concentration (mill/ml), percentage of vitality (%), motility (%) and membrane
integrity in all examined semen samples as well as sample from normo- and subnormosperrmia. These
results propose that heavy smoking causes to a significant deterioration in semen quality (sperm
concentration, vitality, motility and membrane integrity not only by subnormospermia but also by
normospermia men), thus smoking may negatively affect the fertilization efficiency. Sperm cell
membrane integrity test (HOS-test) could be used as standard screening test and a biomarker for the
sperm quality in patients.
