The effect of nicotine on in vitro sperm motion characteristics.
PURPOSE AND STUDY PLAN: Men who are habitual smokers tend to have poor semen quality. We studied the effect of nicotine on sperm motility in vitro. Spermatozoa from 13 normal fertile nonsmoking donors, washed free of seminal plasma, were treated with medium alone (control); and, 10 mM, 5 mM, 1 mM and 0.1 mM nicotine (concentrations estimated to approximate residual concentrations of nicotine in the testes of heavy smokers). Computerized sperm motion analysis (CASA) was done at 2, 4, 6 and 24 h after incubation.


RESULTS
Sperm motility, beat/cross frequency, linearity and maximum anterior lateral head displacement (ALH max.) were significantly decreased across nominal dosages (P < 0.001 by repeated measures analysis of variance). Of the concentrations tested, 0.1 mM had no effect; 1 mM significantly decreased sperm motility (P = 0.003) and linearity (P = 0.02); 5 mM decreased the beat frequency (P = 0.001) and linearity (0.02); and 10 mM markedly decreased motility (P = 0.0001), beat frequency (P = 0.0002), linearity (P = 0.02) and ALH max. (P = 0.02). The interactions between dose and time were insignificant.


CONCLUSIONS
Nicotine at concentrations of > or = 1 mM significantly decreased sperm motion characteristics after different periods of incubation, whereas 0.1 mM concentration had the least effect.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston 29425, USA.
A
A
Reddy
A
A
Sood
P F
PF
Rust
J E
JE
Busby
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Varn
R S
RS
Mathur
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S
Mathur
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D009538:Nicotine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors
D009538:Nicotine