Effects of smoking on fatty acid composition of phospholipid sperm membrane and the malondialdehyde levels in human seminal plasma

Summary The aim of this study was to investigate fatty acids composition of sperm phospholipids, level of lipoperoxidation represented by malondialdehyde and to examine differences between recent smokers and nonsmokers. The levels of malondialdehyde were in the group of all patients 1.51 ± 0.56 μmol l−1, in smokers 1.36 ± 0.59 μmol l−1 and in nonsmokers 1.53 ± 0.55 μmol l−1. Total sperm membrane phospholipid fatty acids were profiled into several groups, saturated acids (in smokers 61.86 ± 9.02%, in nonsmokers 61.20 ± 11.66%), polyunsaturated acids n‐3 (in smokers 12.62 ± 8.18%, in nonsmokers 14.28 ± 13.65%), polyunsaturated acids n‐6 (in smokers 9.13 ± 4.37%, in nonsmokers 10.10 ± 3.79%) and other acids (in smokers 14.36 ± 3.94%, in nonsmokers 13.88 ± 2.31%). Significant correlations were found between the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) and total sperm motility in all patients (r = −0.358, P = 0.013), between both the level of MDA and progressive motility (r = −0.465, P = 0.001) and between the level of MDA and total motility (r = −0.382, P = 0.037) in nonsmokers. There were no statistically significant differences between composition of sperm phospholipid important fatty acids in smokers and nonsmokers. Significant correlations between selected sperm fatty acids and sperm motility and morphology in smokers and nonsmokers were not observed.