REUTERS/File
Undated file picture of a man smoking.
Posted on 06/02/2007 2:14:08 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Here's one more reason not to smoke -- smoking may damage sperm, passing along genetic damage to a man's children, Canadian researchers report.
A study in mice shows that cigarette smoke caused changes in the DNA of sperm cells, the researchers said in this week's issue of the journal Cancer Research. Such mutations, know as germline mutations, are known to be permanent.
"If inherited, these mutations persist as irreversible changes in the genetic composition of offspring," said Carole Yauk of Health Canada's Environmental and Occupational Toxicology Division, who led the study.
"We have known that mothers who smoke can harm their foetuses, and here we show evidence that fathers can potentially damage offspring long before they may even meet their future mate."
Yauk and colleagues studied the stem cells that produce sperm in mice exposed to cigarette smoke for either six or 12 weeks. All male mammals continuously produce sperm.
They found 1.7 times as many DNA mutations in the cells of the smoke-exposed mice as in those of the unexposed mice after 12 week, and 1.4 times as many mutations after six weeks.
"This suggests that damage is related to the duration of exposure, so the longer you smoke the more mutations accumulate and the more likely a potential effect may arise in the offspring," Yauk said.
Then tell your little spermies not to smoke!
Say What!?!
I’m done with the procreation thing - leave me alone.
Not all mutations are bad. Most, but not all.
If it weren’t for mutations, we might still be apes, and we wouldn’t be sitting here reading FreeRepublic.
What? Are you saying mutants read FreeRepublic?
Well... I guess it's a good thing that mice aren't men eh?
Both of my parents smoked and yet I'm healthy as a horse. My wife and I smoked and we brought forth four beautiful, healthy, talented, children.
Do my wife and I still smoke. No but my sperm worked just fine and none of my children nor my one grand-child are in any way deformed.
Amazing how the evidence never supports the conclusion of a junk-scientist isn't it?
Oh my, I hope this doesn’t turn into a Crevo Evo thread. :-]
I mutate at the thought. :-}
I think that’s Obama (seriesly).
This might shed light on how some sperm can be damaged by smoke.
My mom smoked so much when she was pregnant with me that when I came out of the womb, the doctor had to cut four packs of KOOL’s off the umbilical cord.
Monica who?
I haven’t had a thread in the Smokey Backroom for a long time. Thanks! lolol ;-)
My Dad smoked 2 packs of Camel straights a day for years. Eight of us turned out OK, I reckun.
I wonder what happens to those who blow smoke rings?
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