Objective: To investigate the effects of smoking on sperm apoptosis and semen quality of healthy adult males in the main urban area of Chongqing.
Methods: According to the smoking habit, we divided 235 healthy adult males into a non-smoking group (n = 89) and a smoking group (n = 146). Then we detected the routine semen parameters by the computer-assisted semen analysis system and obtained the parameters of sperm apoptosis (the ratios of AN-/PI-, AN+/PI-, AN+/PI+ and AN-/PI+ sperm) by flow cytometry combined with Annexin V-FITC/PI fluorescence staining.
Results: The rate of early apoptotic sperm (AN+/PI-) was higher in the smoking than in the non-smoking group ([8.1 +/- 5.1]% vs [6.8 +/- 3.8]%; P = 0.039), but there were no significant differences between the two groups in the rate of late apoptotic sperm (AN+/PI+) ([5.6 +/- 5.2]% vs [5.5 +/- 5.1]%; P = 0.87), as well as in such routine semen indexes as semen volume, sperm density, sperm motility, sperm vitality and normal sperm morphology (P = 0.30, 0.82, 0.37, 0.81 and 0.84, respectively).
Conclusion: The rate of early apoptotic sperm is higher in smokers than in non-smokers, suggesting that smoking may induce early damage to sperm cells. Compared with routine semen parameters, sperm apoptosis is a more sensitive biomarker to reflect smoking-induced damage to sperm.