title: Simultaneous vitality and DNA-fragmentation measurement in spermatozoa of smokers and non-smokers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Because cigarette smoke is a powerful ROS producer, we hypothesized that the spermatozoa of smokers would be more at risk of having increased DNA fragmentation than spermatozoa of non-smoking men.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was performed on consenting smokers and non-smokers, consulting in an infertility clinic for routine sperm analysis. The application of a novel TUNEL assay coupled to a vitality marker, LIVE/DEAD®, allowed both DNA fragmentation and viability measurement within spermatozoa of participants to be analyzed by flow cytometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The coupled vitality-DNA fragmentation analysis revealed that non-smokers and smokers, respectively presented medians of 3.6% [0.6-36.8] and 3.3% [0.9-9.6] DNA fragmented spermatozoa among the living spermatozoa population (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  No deleterious effect of smoking on spermatozoa was found in our study. More studies concerning potential mutagenic capacities of cigarette smoke on spermatozoa are necessary. In addition, the coupled vitality-DNA fragmentation analysis may orient Assisted Reproductive Technology teams when confronted with patients having a high percentage of DNA-fragmented living spermatozoa.
authors.affiliation: UPMC; AP-HP, Service de Biologie de la reproduction-CECOS; Hôpital Tenon, 4 rue de la Chine, Paris, France.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Bantel
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fleury-Feith
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Poirot
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Berthaut
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Garcin
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Landais
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ravel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055101:Semen Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000473:pathology*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: DNA fragmentation; cell vitality; spermatozoa; tobacco