The effect of cigarette smoke exposure on rat’s spermatogenesis: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Objective: To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of all available published data related to rats about spermatogenesis to provide a comprehensive overview of the effects of cigarette smoke exposure on the parameters of spermatogenesis. Methods: A comprehensive search of electronic databases including PubMed, EBSCO, ProQuest, Science Direct, Taylor & Francis, Springer Link, GARUDA, and Google Scholar, spanning from their inception until January 29th, 2021, was conducted to retrieve relevant studies and full-text articles evaluating the effect of cigarette smoke exposure on the parameters of spermatogenesis in rats. Data were taken from eligible studies. We use SYRCLE’s Risk of Bias tool for this animal studies. The overall size effect was measured, and forest plots and funnel plots were generated using the statistical software JASP. Results: The present study comprised 23 studies involving 527 rats. The findings of this meta-analysis revealed that parameters of spermatogenesis, such as sperm count, morphology, and viability, were substantially impaired in response to conventional cigarette smoke exposure, exhibiting and aggregate correlation coefficient of 0,70 (95% CI:0.61-0.79, p < .001). Conclusion: Exposure to conventional cigarette smoke has a significant negative effect on spermatogenic parameters in rats, particularly in terms of sperm count, morphology, and viability.