Study What influence does cannabis have on sperm quality?

THC affects the genetic profile of sperm

Cannabis use can affect the genetic profile of sperm, recently suggested by an American research team in a study. The researchers were able to prove that the active ingredient tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) causes structural and regulatory changes in the DNA of the sperm. It also showed that the higher the THC concentrations in the urine of men, the more massive the changes.

Researchers from the Duke Unicersity School of Medicine recently found in a study that the cannabis-based drug THC alters the DNA of human sperm. The consequences on reproduction and whether these changes are inherited, could not yet be clarified. The study results were recently published in the journal "Epigenetics".

A recent study suggests that cannabis use causes changes in sperm DNA. The impact this has on fertility and offspring is still unclear. (Image: Africa Studio / fotolia.com)

Cannabis reduces the reproductive ability?

As a broader group of people gain access to THC as part of the legalization of medical cannabis, medical and scientific interest in the plant is increasing - both in the US and in Germany. Thus, the active ingredient THC for example, to help against severe pain, loss of appetite or depression. Cannabis, on the other hand, is suspected to reduce male reproductive ability or to promote genetic mental disorders. In a recent study, the Duke research team was able to demonstrate for the first time that THC influences the genome of sperm.

Cannabis modifies the genetic material

The researchers were able to prove in both rats and humans that THC alters the tiny methyl groups attached to sperm DNA. This process is called DNA methylation. It is a chemical change of the basic building blocks of the genetic material. However, since the basic structure of the DNA is retained, this change is not a mutation, but a modification dar. Whether this genetic modification can be reversed or passed on to children, is not yet known, according to the researchers.

What are the effects of these changes??

"We do not yet know what that means, but the fact that more and more young men of childbearing age have legal access to cannabis is something we should think about," says senior study author Professor Dr. Scott Kollins in a press release on the study results.

The more cannabis, the stronger the DNA change

The study looked at sperm from 24 men who used cannabis at least once a week for the past six months. "The higher the THC concentration in men's urine, the more pronounced were the genetic changes in their sperm," the researchers write.

Cannabis can cause growth disorders?

Professor Susan K. Murphy, who also participated in the study, reports that THC seems to affect hundreds of different genes, all of which could be assigned to two strands. One of the strands is involved in helping body organs reach their full size. The other strand includes a variety of genes that regulate growth during development. "What that means for a child's development, we just do not know right now," says Murphy.

Number of participants too low

This study is more likely to be considered as a starting point for further research, as the number of participants was too small to make general statements. The team is now planning a large-scale study on the subject. Until then, Murphy advises, "I would say as a precaution that you should not use cannabis for at least six months before trying to conceive a baby." (Vb)