In vitro effect of codeine on human sperm motility and DNA integrity

Abstract

Purpose This study assessed the in vitro effect of codeine, a popular drug of abuse, on human spermatozoa motility, plasma membrane integrity, DNA integrity, and oxidative stress. Materials and Methods Semen samples were collected from fifteen healthy donors and conventional semen analysis was carried out per the guideline of the World Health Organization. Direct Swim-up technique was performed to obtain highly motile sperm. Samples were incubated at 34.5°C with different concentrations (0, 0.1, 1, 5 and 10 mM) of codeine. The non-exposed (0 mM) was used as the control group. Sperm motility and DNA integrity were assessed at 30, 60, and 90 minutes, while sperm membrane integrity and sperm 8-OHdG level were determined at 90 minutes. Results Codeine at any tested concentration significantly reduced sperm motility and plasma membrane integrity but increased sperm 8-OHdG level compared to the control in a time-dependent manner. Furthermore, codeine at 1, 5, and 10 mM markedly increased sperm DNA damage. In addition, correlation study showed that sperm 8OHdG level was negatively associated with sperm motility, plasma membrane integrity, and DNA integrity. Conclusions Codeine may impair human spermatozoa fertilization capacity by inducing sperm dysmotility and damage to the sperm plasma membrane and DNA through an oxidative stress-dependent mechanism.