The Effect of Smoking Types in Some Semen Characteristics of Men in the City of Diwaniyah, Iraq

 

Salwan Abdul Muaen Al-Khaikani¹, Fallah H. Abdul Latif¹, Ahmed F. Al-Hussein²

¹University of Al-Qadisiyah, College of Agriculture, Iraq

²University of Al-Nahrain, College of Sciences, Iraq

 

ABSTRACT:

In this study, a sample of 50 persons has been used to determine the effect of smoking type and its period in addition to age in some semen characteristics. Statistical analysis shows the significant effect of smoking type in both of sperm number, activity, dead sperm, normal and abnormal morphology of sperms. In the case of smoking pipe water, the sperms number decreases significantly and decreases the activity of the sperm significantly when smoking cigarettes, as well as water pipe smoking. The normal morphology of the sperms as significantly affected in all cases of smoking as compared with non-smokers. Statistical analysis shows the significant effect period of smoking in both of the activity of sperm, dead sperm, normal and abnormal morphology of the sperm. The activity of the sperm decreases significantly for the period of smoking 6-10 years, and the normal morphology of the sperm significantly decreases in the case of smoking for 1-5 years. Statistical analysis also shows the significant effect of age in both semen and seminal. The seminal volume and viscosity decrease significantly in the age group 26-30 years, and the viscosity decreases significantly in the age group 25 years or less. The regression is significantly and highly for the activity of sperm and dead sperm on the period of smoking, the negative regression of the number of sperm, the normal morphology of the sperm and the volume of semen with the period of smoking. The regression is negative and not significant in both dead sperm and abnormal morphology with age. The number of sperm is significantly correlated with both the activity of the sperm and the normal morphology of the sperm, the volume of the semen and the pus cells.

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION:

Examination of semen is one of the important ways to determine the function of the gonads, and the normal semen which has the ability for normal fertilization (1).

 

(2) Have observed that about 10% of males who are not fertile can be associated with seminal volume, the small seminal volume reduces sperm access to the cervix and reduces its ability to equate vaginal acidity.

 

(3) Have attributed the causes of infertility in males to several factors, including dysplasia or maturation or blockage of sperm.

 

 

The World Health Organization (4) has reported that at least 20 million sperm/ml is the normal concentration of sperm. And abnormal sperm are without functional efficiency and thus reduce fertilization opportunities or may prevent fertilization (5).

 

(6) Have reported that smoking affects the heart and circulatory system and leads to the contraction of blood vessels, which allows the occurrence of blockage of veins and arteriosclerosis, including blood vessels of the genital organs, especially the testicles and this leads to a defect in the production of sperm.

 

And that smoking affects negatively the characteristics of semen, which are the volume of seminal, the number of sperm, activity and the normal morphology of sperm and seminal viscosity (7, 8, 9)

 

 

(10) Have found that there is a significant decrease in the level of testosterone in smokers.

 

The study results of the effect of the cigarette smoke exposure of pregnant female Guinea pigs, shows that the weight and length of the neonatal significantly decrease compared with control group an histopathological study appeared, placenta enlargement and increase in villi surface as well as decrease in number of the blood capillaries and there calcified area surrounded by calcification in the atrophic tissue of the placenta. (11).

 

The results of the (12) study indicate that smoking water pipe causes a significant increase in the number of white blood cells, concentration of hemoglobin, volume of compressed blood, cholesterol, triglycerides and fatty proteins.

 

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

In this study, a random sample of 50 smokers and non-smokers of different ages has been used to study some semen characteristics, including:

·       Volume of Sperm (ml) : The volume of the seminal fluid is measured by using an inserted tube or an inserted pipette. (13).

·       Seminal viscosity (ml): The viscosity of the seminal fluid is measured by the micropipette pipette. It is observed that the semen is made by gravity and measured in millimeters. The viscosity of the normal seminal fluid is in the form of free droplets, in the case of abnormal viscosity the length is greater than 2 cm (4, 14).

·       pH: pH is measured after the semen flow directly by the pH test strips. The resulting color is compared with the colours in the standard calibration strips to determine the pH (13)

·       Number of sperm (Million / ejaculate): The number of sperm is measured by counting in ten microscopic fields under the power of 40 x, then multiply the mean of ten readings by factor 10⁶ (15).

·       Pus Cells: HPF (High Power Field) The number of white blood cells (WBCs) and pharyngeal cells in semen are calculated by counting the number of pellets in 10 random microscopic fields and multiplying the mean of ten reading by factor 10⁶ (14)

·       Activity of Sperms (%): Ten random microscopic fields are examined and the percentage of the moving sperm is extracted (16). The following equation is used:

 

           Number of Motile Sperm in Ten Micro Fields

Activity of  = -------------------------------------------------------------× 100

Sperm              Total Number of Sperms in Microscopic Fields

 

 

 

·       Dead Sperm (%): After the work of a slide of seminal fluid adding blue Eosin, if the color turns to red, this indicates the entry of the stain to the head of the sperm, that means (The death of the sperm cell). The mean is extracted by calculating the mean of ten microscopic fields of dead sperm from the total and multiply the total by 100 (16)

 

Normal Morphology of the Sperm (%): The percentage of the normal morphology of the sperm is calculated in 10 microscopic fields under the power of 40x (16), using the following equation:

 

            Number of Dead sperm in Ten Microscopic Fields

Activity of = -------------------------------------------------------------- × 100

Sperm              Total Number of Sperms in Microscopic Fields

 

Statistical Analysis of Data is by using SPSS Version 22 (2011).

 

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION:

The Effect of Smoking type:

Statistical analysis shows the significant effect of type smoking in the number of sperm. The number of sperm decreases significantly in smoking pipe water as compared with non-smokers. In addition, the activity of the sperm decreases significantly as compared with non-smokers, and this difference corresponds to the opposite direction with dead sperm. The normal morphology of the sperm is also significantly reduced compared with non-smokers, and this is also reflected in the abnormal morphology of the sperm (Table 1). This is due to the negative effect of smoking on the emergence of sperm due to the reduction of testosterone production through direct effect in Sertoli & Leydig cells (17,18).

 

Also smoking has negative affects to the organs of the body, including the male reproductive system since it contains toxic substances or compounds affecting the vesicles and prostate gland and sperm channels, which in its turn leads to obstruction and paralyzing the movement of sperm in transit to the cervix, which reduces the activity (9,19).

 

Smoking also causes negative changes in the normal morphology of the sperm, especially in the head or the tail of the sperm, affecting eventually the fertilization due to the toxic substances in the components of cigarette smoke and water pipe, such as nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide and other substances, mutagenic and carcinogenic, this results agree with (7,8, 9)

 

Table (1) Effect the Type of Smoking on Some Semen Characteristics in Men                      (mean ± standard error)

Classification	Type of smoking				Significant
	No smoking	Cigarette	pipe water	Cigarette & pipe water
No: of the sample	13	24	6	7
Volume of Semen (ml)	2.27± 0.257	2.50 ± 0.120	2.17± 0.307	2.29± 0.184	N.S
Number of Sperms (Million / Ejaculate)	b 91.54±11.867	ab 78.33 ± 5.903	a 45.83±13.380	ab 75.00 ± 14.720	*
pH	8.85±0.104	8.79 ± 0.079	8.75± 0.171	8.86+ 0.143	N.S
Viscosity of Semen (mm)	31.15 ± 1.154	31.67± 0.886	30.00 ± 0.000	32.14 ± 1.487	N.S
Activity of Sperms (%)	b 65.42± 3.166	a 41.25 ± 3.564	ab 50.00 ± 8.944	a 32.86 ± 7.933	**
Dead Sperms (%)	a 34.58 ± 3.166	b 58.75 ± 3.564	ab 50.00 ± 8.944	b 67.14 ± 7.933	**
Normal Morphology (%)	b 52.50 ± 2.261	a 31.67 ± 3.755	a 25.00 ± 8.062	a 21.71 ± 7.325	**
Abnormal Morphology (%)	a 47.50± 2.261	b 68.33± 3.755	b 75.00 ± 8.062	b 78.29± 7.325	**
Pus Cells	10.69 ± 7.616	4.46± 1.736	3.83± 1.400	7.00± 5.538	N.S

N.S: The Difference is not Significant

* (P < 0.05)

** (P < 0.01)

 

Similar letters Indicate that there are no Significant Differences Between the Means.

 

The seminal volume, pH, viscosity and sperm infection are not affected (Table 1). These results agree with (20), but differ with those of (7,8,9) who have reported that Smoking is negatively affecting both the volume of the semen and his viscosity, where the seminal volume is reduced and his viscosity is increased. (17) have reported that smoking leads to an increase in pus cells in the prostate gland and seminal vesicles which is responsible for the secretion of sperm components and thus increase the viscosity, which impedes sperm movement and reduces its activity.

The Effect of Smoking Period:

Statistical analysis shows the significant effect of the smoking period on the activity of sperm, as the activity of the sperm decreases significantly with the increase in the period of smoking, and this difference is reflected on the same significant effect on dead sperm. The normal morphology of the sperm significantly decreases between smokers and nonsmokers, while no significant effect has been observed between smoking periods, which is also reflected on the abnormal morphology of the sperm (Table 2).

 

Table (2) The Effect of Smoking Period on Some Semen Characteristics in Men                    (mean ± standard error)

N.S: The Difference is not Significant

**P < 0.01

Similar Letters Indicate that there are no Significant Differences Between the Means.

 

These results have agreed with (7) that the period of smoking affected on most semen characteristics through negative effects on sperm, such as DNA damage, impedes the mitosis and abnormal morphology of the sperm as well as (9) show that the increase in the number of cigarettes has a significant negative effect on semen characteristics, including seminal volume, number of sperm, sperm activity and the normal morphology of sperm.

 

While the seminal volume, sperm count, pH, viscosity, and pus cells are not affected (Table 2).

The Effect of Age:

Statistical analysis shows the significant effect of age on seminal volume and its viscosity. The seminal volume increases in the age group of 36 years and older as compared with the age group 26-30 years. The viscosity of semen in the 36-years and old age group increases as compared with age group 25 years or less. (21) notes that there is a significant decrease in the seminal volume with old age, and he has attributed that the testis with old age has a large changes, including the wrapping of the arteries within the testicles, the fracture and collapse of the network of capillaries around the lobules, the negatively effect of age on viscosity with significant increases, and he attributed to a defect or blockage in the vesicles or infections of the prostate gland and the gland of Cooper and end of the urethra, and those glands are responsible for the secretion of materials that work on clotting and melting semen.

 

While the other semen characteristics are not affected by the age group (Table 3), with an increase in the number of sperm, its activity and the volume of semen with age. (21) has no a significant effect of age in the normal morphology of the sperm.

 

Table (3) The Effect of Age on Some Semen Characteristics in Men       (Average ± standard error)

N.S: The Difference is not Significant

* (P < 0.05)

Similar Letters Indicate that there are no Significant Differences between the Means.

 

Regression between Sperm Characteristics:

The regression of the semen characteristics on the period of smoking is a significant and negative for sperm activity, significant and positive for dead sperm and with a highly negative regression for both of the number of sperm and the normal morphology of the sperm (Table 4).

 

(7) Have showed that semen characteristics decrease with increasing period of smoking and thus they are considered a serious indicator of infertility in men. (9) have agreed that smoking is considered as one of the factors influencing either directly or indirectly the fertility capacity of the man, while the age does not show a significant regression in semen characteristics, noting that the regression is negative with the dead sperm and the abnormal morphology of the sperm (Table 4).

 

(21) Has showed that the old age affects negatively the seminal volume, sperm number, sperm activity and viscosity.

 

 

Table (4) Regression of Sperm Characteristics on Age and Period of Smoking

** (P < 0.01)

Y = a + bx

Y: Department Variable, Characteristic (Expected Value)

X: Independent Variable, Influencing Factor (Age, Period of Smoking)

a: Constant

b: Regression Coefficient

 

Correlation between Sperm Characteristics:

From (Table 5) there is a significant correlation between seminal volume and pus cells, as well as between the number of sperm, their activity and the normal morphology of the sperm. The association between sperm activity and normal morphology is significantly positive, and the correlation is significantly positive between dead sperm and abnormal morphology.

 

(7)(9) Have found that the smoking negatively affects the characteristics of semen represented by the volume of semen, the number of sperm, activity and normal morphology of the sperm, while it has noted that there is a significant increase in viscosity of semen. (17) has showed that smoking leads to an increase in the pus cells of the prostate gland and the seminal vesicles, thus increasing sperm viscosity, which impedes sperm movement and reduces activity.

 

Have noted that the presence of viscosity in the semen negatively affects the characteristics which including number of sperm and its activity as well as the volume of semen, while there is an increase in the count of white blood cells and the rise of pH and therefore the presence of viscosity in the semen may cause men infertility.

 

Table (5) Correlation Coefficients between Sperm Characteristics

* (p < 0.05)

** (p < 0.01)

 

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Received on 11.10.2018         Modified on 19.11.2018

Accepted on 29.12.2018         © RJPT All right reserved