Fertility and Sterility
Volume 91, Issue 6 , Pages 2471-2476, June 2009

Cannabinoids inhibit the respiration of human sperm

  • Zaki S. Badawy, B.A.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, State University of New York, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York
    • ,
  • Kazim R. Chohan, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pathology, State University of New York, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York
    • ,
  • Donna A. Whyte, M.D.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, State University of New York, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York
    • ,
  • Harvey S. Penefsky, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Biochemistry, Public Health Research Institute, Newark, New Jersey
    • ,
  • Oliver M. Brown, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pharmacology, State University of New York, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint requests: Oliver M. Brown, Ph.D., Department of Pharmacology, State University of New York, Upstate Medical University, 750 East Adams Street, Syracuse, NY 13210 (FAX: 315-464-8002)
    • ,
  • Abdul-Kader Souid, M.D., Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, State University of New York, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York
    • Corresponding Author InformationAbdul-Kader Souid, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Pediatrics, State University of New York, Upstate Medical University, 750 East Adams Street, Syracuse, NY 13210 (FAX: 315-464-7238).

Received 24 January 2008; received in revised form 28 March 2008; accepted 28 March 2008. published online 18 June 2008.

Objective

To investigate the effects of the psychotropic compounds Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) and Δ8-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ8-THC) on sperm mitochondrial O2 consumption (respiration).

Setting

State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York.

Patient(s)

Forty-one men who visited the andrology laboratory for fertility evaluation.

Intervention(s)

None.

Main Outcome Measure(s)

A phosphorescence analyzer that measures O2 concentration in sperm suspensions as a function of time was used to measure respiration.

Result(s)

An immediate decline in the rate of respiration was observed when Δ9-THC or Δ8-THC was added to washed sperm. The inhibition was concentration dependent, and Δ9-THC was the more potent of the two compounds. Respiration was much less affected when Δ9-THC or Δ8-THC was added to neat semen, suggesting the presence of protective factors in seminal plasma. Both compounds inhibited the respiration of isolated mitochondria, illustrating that direct mitochondrial damage is likely the primary mechanism of action.

Conclusion(s)

The two main active cannabinoids of the marijuana plant, Δ9- and Δ8-THC, are potent inhibitors of mitochondrial O2 consumption in human sperm. These findings emphasize the adverse effects of these toxins on male fertility. The cytoprotective capacity of seminal plasma deserves further investigation.

Key Words: Cannabinoids, respiration, mitochondria, sperm

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 Badawy and Chohan contributed equally to this work.

 Supported by Paige's Butterfly Run, Syracuse, New York.

 Z.S.B. has nothing to disclose. K.R.C. has nothing to disclose. D.A.W. has nothing to disclose. H.S.P. has nothing to disclose. O.M.B. has nothing to disclose. A.-K.S. has nothing to disclose.

PII: S0015-0282(08)00750-4

doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2008.03.075

Fertility and Sterility
Volume 91, Issue 6 , Pages 2471-2476, June 2009

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