Why this animal study suggests too much THC is bad for men’s reproductive health

Macaques eat bananas throughout feeding time at Sangeh Monkey Forest in Sangeh, Bali Island, Indonesia on Sept. 1, 2021. A brand new animal examine reveals that heavy use of hashish can contribute to decrease semen quantity, decreased hormone manufacturing and testicular atrophy.

Firdia Lisnawati, Related Press

A brand new animal examine reveals that heavy use of hashish can contribute to decrease semen quantity, decreased hormone manufacturing and testicular atrophy.

Researchers tracked for seven months the consequences of a cohort of male rhesus macaques consuming a day by day cookie earlier than breakfast containing tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, which is the chemical liable for marijuana’s psychoactive results. The macaque topics had beforehand fathered offspring.

Because the dose of THC was regularly elevated over the examine interval, researchers tracked the impact of publicity on the themes’ testes and reproductive well being.

Researchers collected blood and semen samples from the analysis topics and carried out scrotal ultrasounds to measure testicular quantity of the macaques on the Oregon Nationwide Primate Analysis Middle.

Based on the examine, revealed within the journal Fertility and Sterility, the macaques’ testicular quantity decreased by 58% by the top of the examine interval.

A change in hormone ranges was additionally noticed, together with a lower in testosterone. Semen quantity was additionally lowered however no statistically important drop in sperm depend was noticed.

The examine concluded: “In rhesus macaques, persistent publicity to THC resulted in important dose-response testicular atrophy, elevated serum gonadotropin ranges, and decreased serum intercourse steroids, suggestive of main testicular failure. Additional research are wanted to find out if reversal of those noticed adversarial results would happen if THC was discontinued and for validation of the findings in a human cohort.”

Dr. Marcelle Cedars, president of the American Society for Reproductive Drugs, stated in a press release as rising numbers of jurisdictions legalize hashish for medical and leisure use, it is important that medical science perceive its affect on well being, together with copy.

“This examine raises some essential considerations, ones that have to be extra absolutely explored,” Cedars stated.

In roughly 40% of infertile of human couples, the male accomplice is both the only trigger or a contributing explanation for infertility, in accordance with the society’s web site.