Maleficent effects of chronic tobacco Shisha smoke exposure on sperm DNA fragmentation, count, motility and morphology in adult male wistar rats

Abstract

Background: Currently there are no putative empirical data on the effect of Shisha smoking on sperm DNA integrity and some of the available data on the adverse effects of Shisha smoking on conventional semen characteristics: sperm count, sperm motility and sperm morphology are contradictory. Despite the well-known deleterious reproductive effects of cigarette smoking, it is relatively unclear whether or not Shisha smoking has the same effect on male reproductive parameters. The present study was aimed at determining the effect of chronic Shisha smoke exposure on semen parameters and sperm DNA integrity in adult male Wistar rats.

Methods: Twenty-one adult male Wistar rats between the ages of 8-12 weeks, weighing between 160 -180 g were divided randomly into three groups containing 7 rats per group. Group I rats were kept for 30 minutes daily in the nose-only exposure chamber for a period 13 weeks without exposure to Shisha smoke; group II (with water in the Shisha jar) was exposed to bonged shisha smoke (BSS) and group III (without water in the shisha jar) was exposed to unbonged Shisha smoke (UBSS), respectively for 7 seconds first and fresh air later for 53 seconds, alternatively for 30 minutes daily for a period of 13 weeks. The Shisha smoke was drawn from the Shisha apparatus outlet by a vacuum compressor at a pressure of 300 kPa into the nose-only exposure chamber where the rats were kept. At the end of the exposure, five animals from each group were randomly selected and anaesthetised with 0.4 mL/100g of combined ketamine and diazepam and blood samples were obtained through cardiac puncture.

Results:The result obtained showed that chronic exposure to Shisha smoke revealed a significant increase in testicular malondialdehyde (MDA) level, high sperm DNA fragmentation and abnormal cell morphology, marked reduction in serum testosterone concentration, sperm count and progressive motility.