Impact of Cigarette Smoking and Alcohol Intake on Male Infertility

Chronic alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking adversely affect male reproductive health. This work highlights the influence of both on the sperm quality of infertile male partners. This prospective study was conducted on semen samples of alcoholics(Group1), smokers-(Group2), habit of both-(Group-3), controls-(Group4). Samples were analysed following WHO guidelines including the percentage of teratoszoospermia, asthenozoospermia , oligospermia and their combination. F-test was done between alcoholics, smokers, and both smokers and alcoholics with controls using SPSS. Teratozoospermia and asthenozoospermia dominated in Group1 whereas asthenozoospermia and oligospermia dominated in Group2. Oligospermia dominated in group 3 and as the age advances all the three variables dominated in group2 and 3. Alcohol intake affects sperm morphology and motility, whereas smoking affects sperm concentration and motility. Progressive deterioration in semen quality is related to increasing quantity of cigarette smoking than alcohol intake. ARUL AMUTHA ELIZABETH Department of Pharmacology, Sree Balaji Medical College and Hospital, Chennai, India. Int J Pharm Bio Sci 2013 Oct; 4(4): (B) 513 518 This article can be downloaded from www.ijpbs.net B 514 INTRODUCTION Infertility, a basic disease of the reproductive system affects 10-15% of all couples . Even though male infertility plays a key role in conception, in 40% of infertile couples no apparent reason for infertility could be found. This has drawn attention to the impact of life style and environmental factors especially diet, obesity, smoking, alcohol intake, recreational drug use and exposure to environmental toxins on reproductive health. Cigarette smoking and alcohol abuse are widely recognized as health hazard worldwide every year. Smoking and alcohol consumption are frequently associated with impaired male reproductive function. Many workers have examined the effects of tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption on human seminal quality. Smoking adversely affects male reproductive health and chronic alcohol consumption has been associated with abnormal sperm morphology. Cigarette smoking is related with decreased sperm concentration, decreased sperm motility and a reduced percentage of morphological normal sperm and impaired semen parameters . The objective of the present study is to analyse the distribution of sperm quality due to alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking and their frequency on randomly selected infertile men attending the andrology laboratory for treatment. MATERIALS AND METHOD Male partners of infertile couples seeking treatment for primary infertility were included in this study. This prospective study was conducted at andrology laboratory of Prashanth fertility centre and Sree Balaji Medical College after getting institutional ethical clearance of Sree Balaji medical college and hospital and informed consents from the subjects. Married more than one year and not using any contraceptive measures were selected for this study. In this study the effect of alcohol and smoking and its synergistic effect on semen quality in four different groups were analyzed. The subjects consuming alcohol for a period of more than three years were considered as alcoholics(Group1).Subjects without alcohol consumption but with cigarette smoking more than a period of three years were considered as smokers – (Group2). Both alcoholics and smokers were included as (Group3). Strict non alcohol consumers and non smokers were selected as controls(Group4). EXCLUSION CRITERIA 1) History of prolonged medication and intake of herbal /tonics and indigenous medicine. 2) Varicocele, hydrocele, undescented testis, vasectomy reversal surgery and history of chronic illness. 3) Males above 45yrs of age 4) Those with negative semen fructose test. SAMPLE COLLECTION Samples were collected in sterile containers by masturbation in the laboratory following strict abstinence for four to six days. All samples were kept at 37± 2 0 c temperature and processed immediately after complete liquefaction. All semen samples were analyzed for 10 primary semen parameters.1)Liquefaction time 2)Volume 3)Viscosity 4) Amorphous particulate matter 5) Agglutination 6)Motility 7)Viability 8)sperm density 9) Morphology (normal forms ) and 10) Head less spermatozoa. The results of semen analysis were classified according to the nomenclature of semen variables (World health organization 1992).The samples is considered Normozoospermia when sperm concentration, motility and morphology were within reference values. The reference value of sperm concentration was greater than 20x10 The motility was assessed using sperm progression rating. ARapid forward progressive motility, BSlow or sluggish progressive motility, CNon progressive motility and DImmotility. Motility was defined as normal when greater than 50% of sperm were classified as grade A+B or greater than 25% were grade A, Teratozoospermia was determined when sperm morphology was less than the reference value, like wise asthenozoospermia was diagnosed when motility and oligzooospermia when sperm concentration Int J Pharm Bio Sci 2013 Oct; 4(4): (B) 513 518 This article can be downloaded from www.ijpbs.net B 515 were below the reference value. When all the three variables like concentration, motility, morphology were disturbed an oligoasthenoteratospermia was diagnosed, Azoospermia was diagnosed when even in the sediment after centrifugation at greater than 3000g for 15 min no sperm were detected.Combinations like oligoteratozoospermia,oligoasthenozoospermia, and asthenoteratozoospermia were used when two variables were disturbed.