title: [Cigarette smoking decreases sperm nucleoprotein transition in infertile males].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the impact of cigarette smoking on sperm nucleoprotein transition and its association with sperm motility in infertile males.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined the semen quality and sperm nucleoprotein transition of 116 non-smokers and 113 heavy smokers (aged 25 -50 years) who visited the Research Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology for male infertility. We determined the rate of individual sperm nucleoprotein transition by aniline blue staining and analyzed the correlation of cigarette smoking with routine semen parameters and the rate of sperm nucleoprotein transition. Based on the smoking index (SI) derived from smoking frequency (no. of cigarettes/d) multiplied by smoking duration (yr), the men with SI = 0 were considered as non-smokers, and those with SI > or = 200 as heavy smokers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The rate of abnormal sperm nucleoprotein transition was significantly higher in the asthenozoospermic (23.5 +/- 9.4, P < 0.01) and oligoasthenozoospermic (28.2 +/- 9.2, P < 0.01) than in the normozoospermic males (19.0 +/- 9.0). Compared with the non-smokers, cigarette smoking remarkably reduced sperm nucleoprotein transition in both the men with normal sperm motility (21.9 +/- 9.8 vs 16.8 +/- 7.7, P < 0.01) and those with abnormal sperm motility (26.0 +/- 9.9 vs 22.7 +/- 8.8, P < 0.05). A weak correlation was observed between the rate of sperm nucleoprotein transition and routine semen parameters.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cigarette smoking is not significantly correlated with sperm motility but decreases sperm nucleoprotein transition in infertile males.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510150, China. 2944382528@qq.com
authors.forename: Yu-Lin
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510150, China.
authors.forename: Kang
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510150, China.
authors.forename: Bo-Lan
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510150, China.
authors.forename: Xing-Cheng
authors.initials: XC
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009698:Nucleoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000187:drug effects; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D009698:Nucleoproteins