EFFECTS OF SEMINAL PLASMA FROM CIGARETTE SMOKERS ON SPERM VIABILITY AND LONGEVITY

Objective: To evaluate the effects of cigarette smoking on the ability of seminal plasma (SP) to maintain sperm viability. Design: Clinical randomized study. Spermatozoa from cigarette smoking or nonsmoking sub jects were reconstituted in SP from smokers and nonsmokers and in modi fied Ham's F-10 medium, followed by sperm quality assessment during a 48-hour incubation period. Setting: Andrology Institute of Lexington, Lexington, Kentucky. Patient(s): Twenty men who had been smoking cigar ettes for longer than 3 years (30 cigarettes per day or more) and 20 n onsmokers participated in this study.Main Outcome Measure(s): Improvem ent in sperm viability by removal of SP-and associated detrimental fac tors present in the SP-from smoker subjects. Result(s): The results ob tained indicate that the quality of spermatozoa obtained from nonsmoke rs was superior to that of smokers. The SP from the two patient groups had a definite effect on their respective sperm quality, i.e., benefi cial effects for the nonsmokers, detrimental effects for the smokers. Exposure of spermatozoa from the nonsmokers to SP from the smokers res ulted in a significant reduction in sperm viability. However, exposure of spermatozoa from the smokers to SP from the nonsmokers or to Ham's F-10 medium yielded significant improvements in sperm viability. Conc lusion(s): The detrimental effects of smokers' SP on nonsmokers' sperm atozoa was prominent and a rather unique phenomenon. The results gener ated in this study could be of clinical significance since removal of smokers' SP and subsequent reconstitution and incubation in physiologi cal media seems to enhance the viability, longevity, and possibly the fertilizing ability of these spermatozoa for use in various assisted r eproductive technologies. (C) 1998 by American Society for Reproductiv e Medicine.