The potential adverse effects of khat chewing and cigarette smoking on human sperm parameters

Abstract

The combined effect of khat chewing and cigarette smoking is confusing and no standard general guideline documented. The current study aims to evaluate the potential adverse effects of khat chewing and cigarette smoking on human sperm parameters of patients. Semen samples were collected from 507 patients of couples consulting for infertility recruited in this study and divided into three groups; (i) non-smokers and non-khat chewers group (n=77), (ii) smokers group (n=142) and (iii) smokers and khat chewers group (n=288). Seminal volume, sperm count, motility, vitality, and normal morphology were evaluated according to guidelines of World Health Organization (WHO). A highly significant differences (p<0.0001) were recognized between the three groups in volume (ml) of semen and the percentage of count, motility, vitality and normal morphology of the sperms. Moreover, semen volume (ml) was significantly (p<0.010) connected with sperm motility (%) (r=0.100) and normal morphology (%) (r=0.168), also, sperm count (mill/ml) was significantly (p<0.010) associated with sperm motility (%) (r=0.379), normal morphology (%) (r=0.386) and vitality (%) (r=0.244). In addition, sperm motility (%) was highly and significantly (p=0.0001) correlated with sperm normal morphology (%) and vitality (%) (r=0.446; r= 0.284, respectively). A significant (p=0.000) correlation also conducted between sperms with normal morphology (%) and sperm vitality (%) (r=0.225). These findings suggest that chewing khat and cigarette smoking may be a source of high oxidative stress and accordingly deteriorate semen quality.