Abstract
This study was carried out with a total of forty (40) male wistar rats randomly divided into four groups of ten (10) rats per group. Group 1 was the control and was treated with distilled water, group 2 was the low dose group (exposed to marijuana smoke for 5 minutes daily), group 3 was the high dose group (exposed to marijuana smoke for 10 minutes daily) and group 4 was the high dose + vitamin C group (exposed to marijuana smoke for 10 minutes and orally gavaged with vitamin C at 2.8 mg/kg body weight daily). The animals were sacrificed on the 29th day and testes were collected. Semen sample were collected and analyzed of Total sperm cell in sample (106/ml), Sperm Concentration (106/ml), Number of Motile sperm, Progressivity, Velocity of Active Path (µm/s). Testicular histology was carried out. The result showed a dose-dependent decrease in all the measured parameters in groups treated with marijuana (group 2 and 3) and an almost equivalent value with the control group for the group treated with marijuana + vitamin C (group 4). The testicular histological section reveals hypochromic section seminiferous tubules with swollen germinal cells and spermatogenic lining cell and irregular alignment of myoid cells for the group 2 and 3 when compared with the control group. But these damages were observed to be ameliorated in the marijuana + vitamin C group (group 4). From this result, it can therefore be concluded that marijuana possesses an antifertility property as seen in the decrease in total sperm count, Sperm Concentration, Number of Motile sperm, Progressivity, Velocity of Active Path and deformation of the testes of rats in this study. Also that vitamin C can ameliorate the antifertility effects of inhaled marijuana in rats.
Highlights
The decline of male fertility in the general population has attracted increasing attention
Smoking is the most common route of marijuana exposure, and according to [6], this has been shown to have negative impact on male fertility, with an effect on hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis, spermatogenesis, and sperm function, as cannabinoid receptors are expressed in the anterior pituitary, Leydig cells, Sertoli cells and in testicular tissues
Colavitti et al wrote that often, abnormal spermatozoa frequently display typical features of oxidative stress i.e. excessive levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) [18] and Mayorga-Torres et al included that it is associated with depleted antioxidant capacity [19]
Summary
The decline of male fertility in the general population has attracted increasing attention. Toxins, certain foods, environmental and biological factors have been implicated in male infertility. Cigarette, caffeine, cocaine, opiods and marijuana used in this work have been reported to exhibit antifertility potential. These effects which may be short or long term posed serious threats to reproductive health and as such, study involving the possible remedy is of essence. Smoking is the most common route of marijuana exposure, and according to [6], this has been shown to have negative impact on male fertility, with an effect on hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis, spermatogenesis, and sperm function, as cannabinoid receptors are expressed in the anterior pituitary, Leydig cells, Sertoli cells and in testicular tissues
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