Research

Cigarette smoke alters DNA in sperm, genetic damage could pass to offspring
A recent study has demonstrated that smoking cigarettes can cause changes in the DNA sequence of sperm cells. Researchers exposed mice to cigarette smoke for either six or 12 weeks. Mice in the smoking condition were exposed to two cigarettes per day, which is equivalent to the amount of smoke produced by a regular human smoker. They observed that the rate of mutations was 1.4 times higher in mice exposed to six weeks of smoke versus mice not exposed to smoke, and 1.7 times higher in mice exposed to 12 weeks of smoke versus non-smoking mice. The researchers conclude that the longer one smokes, the more one’s DNA mutates, which increases the likelihood that the offspring will inherit the mutations. Future research will concentrate on the effects of firsthand smoke on offspring of smoking mice, as well as if and how cigarette smoke affects a female’s eggs. To read more about the study published in the June 1st edition of Cancer Research, click here.

Babies ‘smoke’ when parents do, study confirms
A recent study has demonstrated that infants who live with one or more smoking parent have dramatically higher levels of nicotine byproducts in their urine than infants who live in nonsmoking homes. Researchers at the University of Leicester measured the amount of cotinine in the urine of 104 twelve-week old infants, of which 71 lived with smoking parents. They found that babies who lived with at least one smoking parent had, on average, 5.58 times as much cotinine as babies with non-smoking parents. This study is one of the first to document the effects of indoor secondhand smoke on young children. Click here to read more.

Prenatal smoke may affect sons’ later fertility
Researchers at Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark have demonstrated that prenatal smoking is directly related to a son’s sperm count later in life. They found that the more cigarettes smoked during pregnancy, particularly in the last trimester, the lower the son’s sperm count. Three hundred forty-seven men, ages 18 to 21, participated in the study. During the 1980s researchers collected information on the smoking behavior of each participant’s mother, while during the current study they examined participant’s semen quality and quantity. Participants exposed to the highest amounts of tobacco smoke had a 19% lower semen volume, a 38% lower total sperm count and a 17% lower sperm concentration than participants who were not exposed to tobacco smoke. To read more about the research published the American Journal of Epidemiology, click here.

Cigarette smoking impairs ligament healing
A recent study has shown that exposure to cigarette smoke hinders the healing process to repair a ligament injury after surgery. Researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine were interested in the effects of smoke on the medial collateral ligament (MCL), a ligament that provides support to the knee in both mice and humans. They placed mice with injuries to the MCL in smoking chambers six days a week for two months prior to surgery and then again after surgery to imitate what might happen to a human that continues to smoke after sustaining an injury. Mice exposed to the cigarette smoke had a lower density of cells around the injury, including macrophages, and decreased collagen production. Combined, these deficiencies led to slower or stunted healing processes. To read more about the study published in the Journal of Orthopedic Research, click here.

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