title: Nicotine alters male reproductive hormones in male albino rats: The role of cessation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The use of nicotine through smoking remains a serious health problem. It has been associated with reduced fertility, although the mechanism responsible is still unclear. The present study was designed to investigate whether nicotine-induced infertility is associated with altered male reproductive hormones in male albino rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty male rats were divided equally into five groups and treated orally for thirty days. Group I, which served as the control received 0.2 ml/kg normal saline, Group II and III received 0.5 mg/kg (low dose) and 1.0 mg/kg (high dose) body weight of nicotine, respectively. The fourth and fifth groups were gavaged with 0.5 mg/kg and 1.0 mg/kg body weight of nicotine but were left untreated for another 30 days. These groups served as the recovery groups. Serum was analyzed for testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormones (FSH), and prolactin using radioimmunoassay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results showed that nicotine administration significantly decreased (P < 0.05) testosterone in the low and high treated groups and FSH in the high dose treated group when compared with the control group. There was a significant increase (P < 0.05) in mean LH and prolactin level in the high dose treated group when compared with the control. However, the values of the recovery groups were comparable with the control.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings in this study suggest that nicotine administration is associated with distorted reproductive hormones in male rats although ameliorated by nicotine cessation. It is plausible that the decreased testosterone level is associated with testicular dysfunction rather than a pituitary disorder.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, College of Health Sciences, Osun State University, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria ; Laboratory for Reproductive Physiology and Developmental Programming, Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Ibukun P
authors.initials: IP
authors.lastname: Oyeyipo
authors.forename: Yinusa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Raji
authors.forename: Adeyombo F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Bolarinwa
keywords: Luteinizing hormone; nicotine; prolactin; rat; testosterone