Effect of Eruca sativa on Spermatogenesis in Rats Exposed to Cigarette Smoke

Smoking is among the significant adverse factors to reproductive health and accounts for damage to spermatogenesis and maturation of spermatozoa. The proposed research contributes to understanding the potential of Eruca sativa to prevent the cytotoxic effect of tobacco smoke on different aspects of male reproductive health, including sperm: sperm morphology, sperm count, testes' weight, luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone, and lipid profile in passive smokers. The experiment on how Eruca sativa leaves affect sperm morphology and concentration is performed by grinding leaves to make the aqueous juice. The research participants were grouped into four groups: a control group, Eruca sativa-treated, cigarette-treated, and a group receiving both Eruca sativa and cigarette exposure. The rats were weighed and euthanized surgically, and the testes were harvested and weighed after four weeks of treatment. The sperm count was determined using epididymal sperm, and sperm morphology was determined using vas deferens sperm. The collected cardiac blood was used for lipid profile assessment and hormone-level determination. The findings of this study are significant. Tobacco exposure led to a notable increase in abnormal sperm and a decrease in sex hormone levels. In contrast, the Eruca sativa group showed a highly significant difference in sperm morphology and counts compared to the cigarette group, with a p< 0.001. Although there was a slight decrease in the lipid profile concentration, it was insignificant. Importantly, the co-administration of Eruca sativa and cigarette smoke resulted in a significant reduction in abnormal sperm count, increased sperm count, higher sex hormone concentration, and lipid profile. The Eruca sativa juice used in this study had a protective effect that could be used to reverse or prevent the effects mentioned above of passive smoking.