Effect of cigarette smoking on concentrations of cadmium and lead and on the oxidative damage in human spermatozoa

Abstract

Cigarette smoking induced a significant oxidant effect to free radical-related male infertility. Semen and blood obtained from 50 subfertile men (n=26 smokers, n=24 nonsmokers) and from 45 fertile men (n=23 smokers, n=22 nonsmokers) volunteers were examined. The levels of ROS, MDA and protein carbonyls were significantly increased in smokers subfertile men. The results indicate that Cd and Pb levels of smoking subfertile men in seminal plasma and spermatozoa could affect semen quality and oxidative damage in human sperm cells.