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Schifano N, Chiappini S, Mosca A, Miuli A, Santovito MC, Pettorruso M, Capogrosso P, Dehò F, Martinotti G, Schifano F. Recreational Drug Misuse and Its Potential Contribution to Male Fertility Levels' Decline: A Narrative Review. Brain Sci 2022; 12:1582. [PMID: 36421906 PMCID: PMC9688450 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12111582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Recreational drug intake may be associated with a range of medical untoward consequences, including male infertility. However, as the related evidence is still limited, the main outcome of this review is to provide a better understanding of the existence of any association between recreational drug misuse and male fertility levels' decline. Whilst searching the MEDLINE/PubMed, a comprehensive overview of the literature regarding male infertility and substances of abuse (e.g., phytocannabinoids, opiates/opioids, stimulants, 'herbal highs', psychedelics, and 'novel psychoactive substances) was here undertaken. Due to the paucity of robust, high-quality, empirical, human studies, a narrative strategy was here preferred over a systematic approach. Relevant data are qualitatively analyzed and presented in a table. Although most available evidence is in support of a detrimental role of cannabis on human spermatogenesis, a few remaining studies failed to document any effect of this drug on seminal quality, and it is not clear to which extent this drug impacts fertility rates/time to pregnancy. The current understanding of the impact of opiate-, cocaine- and amphetamine/stimulant-misuse on human reproduction is widely unknown, and most studies dealing with this matter represent only an extrapolation of data derived from specific clinical circumstances. Although the message of 'no smoking, no alcohol and no street drugs' should always be offered as good health advice to all patients seeking medical help for fertility issues, robust scientific clinical evidence in support of a direct detrimental impact of recreational drugs on spermatogenesis is scant to date.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolò Schifano
- Department of Urology, ASST Sette Laghi–Circolo e Fondazione Macchi Hospital, 21100 Varese, Italy
| | - Stefania Chiappini
- Psychopharmacology, Drug Misuse and Novel Psychoactive Substances Research Unit, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hertfordshire AL10 9EU, UK
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, “G. D’Annunzio” University, 66100 Chieti, Italy
| | - Alessio Mosca
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, “G. D’Annunzio” University, 66100 Chieti, Italy
| | - Andrea Miuli
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, “G. D’Annunzio” University, 66100 Chieti, Italy
| | - Maria Chiara Santovito
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, “G. D’Annunzio” University, 66100 Chieti, Italy
| | - Mauro Pettorruso
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, “G. D’Annunzio” University, 66100 Chieti, Italy
| | - Paolo Capogrosso
- Department of Urology, ASST Sette Laghi–Circolo e Fondazione Macchi Hospital, 21100 Varese, Italy
| | - Federico Dehò
- Department of Urology, ASST Sette Laghi–Circolo e Fondazione Macchi Hospital, 21100 Varese, Italy
| | - Giovanni Martinotti
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, “G. D’Annunzio” University, 66100 Chieti, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Schifano
- Psychopharmacology, Drug Misuse and Novel Psychoactive Substances Research Unit, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hertfordshire AL10 9EU, UK
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Sheweita SA, El-Dafrawi YA, El-Ghalid OA, Ghoneim AA, Wahid A. Antioxidants (selenium and garlic) alleviated the adverse effects of tramadol on the reproductive system and oxidative stress markers in male rabbits. Sci Rep 2022; 12:13958. [PMID: 35978015 PMCID: PMC9385640 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-16862-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Tramadol has been used by millions of patients as an analgesic drug to relief the severe pain caused by cancers and other diseases. The current study aimed to investigate the protective effects of antioxidants (garlic and selenium) against the toxic effects of tramadol on semen characteristics, steroid hormones, the protein expressions of different cytochrome P450 isozymes [CYP 21A2, CYP 19, and 11A1], and on antioxidant enzyme activities in testes of rabbits. Western immunoblotting, spectrophotometric, and histological methods were used in this study. Tramadol (1.5 mg/kg body weight) was administered orally to male rabbits for up to three months (three times/week), and after pretreatment of rabbits with garlic (800 mg/kg) and/or selenium (1 mg/kg body weight) by 2 h. The present study showed that motilities, semen volumes, morphologies, sperm counts, testosterone, and estrogen levels were significantly decreased after 4, 8, and 12 weeks of tramadol treatment. In addition, the protein expressions of CYP 21A2, CYP 19, and 11A1 were down-regulated in the testes of the tramadol-treated rabbits. On the other hand, pretreatment of rabbits with garlic, selenium, and/or garlic-selenium for 2 h before administration of tramadol restored the downregulated CYP 21A2 and 11A1 to their normal levels after 12 weeks of tramadol treatment. Activities of antioxidant enzymes including glutathione reductase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione S-transferase, catalase, superoxide dismutase, and levels of glutathione were inhibited in the testes of tramadol-treated rabbits. On the other hand, free radical levels were significantly increased in the testes of tramadol-treated rabbits for 12 weeks. Interestingly, such changes in the activities of antioxidant enzymes as well as free radical levels caused by tramadol were restored to their normal levels in the rabbits pretreated with either selenium, garlic, and/or their combination. Histopathological investigations showed that tramadol caused substantial vacuolization with the presence of damaged immature spermatozoid in the testes. However, selenium and garlic treatments showed an increase in healthy sperm production with normal mitotic and meiotic divisions. The present study illustrated for the first time the mechanisms of low steroid hormone levels in the testes of tramadol-treated rabbits which could be due to the downregulation of CYPs proteins, induction of oxidative stress, and inhibition of antioxidant enzyme activities. In addition, the present data showed that such toxic effects of tramadol were attenuated and restored to their normal levels after pretreatment of rabbits with garlic, selenium, and/or their combination. This finding may pave the way for a new approach to reducing the toxicity of tramadol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salah A Sheweita
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, King Khalid University, P.O.Box: 960, Abha, 61421, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. .,Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt. .,Poultry Physiology Department, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt.
| | - Yassmin A El-Dafrawi
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt.,Poultry Physiology Department, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Osama A El-Ghalid
- Department of Anaesthesia and Pain Management, Medical Research Institute, Alexandra University, Alexandria, Egypt.,Poultry Physiology Department, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Alaa A Ghoneim
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt.,Poultry Physiology Department, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Ahmed Wahid
- Poultry Physiology Department, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt.,Department of Pharmaceutical Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
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