Firouzabadi Amir Masoud, Henkel Ralf, Tofighi Niaki Maryam, Fesahat Farzaneh
Reproductive Immunology Research Center, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.
Department of Medical Bioscience, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa.
World J Mens Health. 2025 Apr;43(2):291-303. doi: 10.5534/wjmh.240072. Epub 2024 Jul 11.
The effects of smoking on human health have long been documented. However, only a few studies have highlighted the direct effects of nicotine on sperm function. Nicotine, as a chemical compound found in tobacco, has been shown to modulate different aspects of spermatogenesis and sperm functions. Nicotine can lead to a reduction in the number of sperm, their motility and functionality. It can change the molecular expressions involved in sperm function, including genes encoding sperm nuclear proteins. The most important nuclear proteins that play a critical role in sperm function are known as H2B histone family, member W, testis-specific (H2BFWT), transition protein 1 (TNP1), transition protein 2 (TNP2), protamine-1 (PRM1), and protamine-2 (PRM2). These proteins are involved in sperm chromatin condensation, which in turn affects fertilization and embryonic development. Any alteration in the expression of these genes due to nicotine exposure/usage may lead to adverse implications in couples' fertility and the health of future generations. Since research in this area is still relatively new, it underscores the importance of understanding the potential side effects of environmental factors such as nicotine on reproductive health.
吸烟对人类健康的影响早已被记录在案。然而，只有少数研究强调了尼古丁对精子功能的直接影响。尼古丁作为烟草中发现的一种化合物，已被证明可调节精子发生和精子功能的不同方面。尼古丁会导致精子数量、活力和功能下降。它可以改变与精子功能相关的分子表达，包括编码精子核蛋白的基因。在精子功能中起关键作用的最重要的核蛋白被称为睾丸特异性H2B组蛋白家族成员W（H2BFWT）、过渡蛋白1（TNP1）、过渡蛋白2（TNP2）、鱼精蛋白-1（PRM1）和鱼精蛋白-2（PRM2）。这些蛋白质参与精子染色质浓缩，进而影响受精和胚胎发育。由于接触/使用尼古丁导致这些基因表达的任何改变都可能对夫妇的生育能力和后代健康产生不利影响。由于该领域的研究仍然相对较新，这凸显了了解尼古丁等环境因素对生殖健康潜在副作用的重要性。
