Effect of environmental tobacco smoke on intracellular free calcium of boar sperm incubated in seminal plasma

The extractable-respirable particulate of environmental tobacco smoke (ERP- ETS) was collected and tested for its effect on the intracellular free Ca2 concentration, [Ca2+](i), in boar sperm incubated in seminal plasma in vit ro. The intracellular free Ca2+ level is reportedly closely related to in s perm capacitation and acrosome reaction, which must take place to confer up on sperm the full fertilizing potential. In the absence of ERP-ETS [Ca2+](i ) in the boar sperm increased dramatically from initially 75 nM to about 24 8 nM after a 5-h incubation in seminal plasma. However, such an increase wa s virtually inhibited by ERP-ETS at a concentration of 10 mu g/ml, without any significant reduction of the sperm motility and viability. We conclude that application of ERP-ETS negatively affected the [Ca2+](i) of boar sperm in vitro. Published by Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.