Cigarette smoking and spermatozoa II. effect of ascorbic acid supplementation on spermatozoa of cigarette smokers [histochemical study]

The thirty heavy smoking men investigated in the first portion of our work were randomly divided into two subgroups [each contained 15 men]. Each participant from the first subgroup of smokers took one 1000-mg tablet of ascorbic acid [AA] daily for 4 weeks. For the same period, the members of the second subgroup took placebo tablets, serving as negative controls. Also, another fifteen of the non-smokers participated as a separate group and each took one 1000-mg tablet of AA daily for 4 weeks, serving as positive controls. The histochemical differences between sperms of cigarette smokers and non-smokers in the first portion of this work were surveyed. Serum and seminal plasma ascorbic acid levels were measured. Statistically significant increases in the histochemical reactions and ascorbic acid levels in the treated subgroup were observed weekly. After the 4 weeks of supplementation, no significant difference was detected between the treated subgroup and non-smokers. However, no significant changes were observed in the non-smokers or the placebo subgroup indicating that increased ascorbic acid bioavailability was associated with the pronounced improvement in sperm activity. These useful effects of AA supplementation may be due to its reductive properties nullifying the possible iniurious effects of the reactive oxidants of nicotine or nicotine melabolites

Effect of ascorbic acid supplementation on sperm acrosin activity in cigarette smokers

Thirty heavy smoking men randomly divided into one of two subgroups [each contained 15 men]. Each participant from the first subgroup of smokers took 1000-mg AA tablets daily for 4 weeks. For the same period, the second subgroup took placebo tablets, serving as a negative control Another fifteen of the non-smokers participated also as a separate group and took 1000-mg tablets of AA/day, serving as a positive control. Semen analyses of all were normal. Acrosin activity of sperms by gelatin substrate film technique was surveyed. Serum and seminal plasma ascorbic acid levels were measured and expressed as mg/dL. Statistically significant increases in the acrosin activity and ascorbic acid levels in the treated subgroup were observed weekly. After the 4 weeks of supplementation, no significant difference was detected between the treated subgroup and nonsmokers. However, no significant weekly changes were observed in the nonsmokers or the placebo subgroup. The increases in AA levels and acrosin activity in the treated smokers indicate that increased ascorbic acid bioavailability was associated with the pronounced improvement in sperm acrosin activity. This useful effect of AA supplementation on acrosin activity may be due to its reductive properties nullifying the possible injurious effects of the reactive oxidants of nicotine or nicotine metabolites