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.