IMPACT OF FREE RADICALS ON LUNGS AND TESTIS HISTOLOGY FROM DIFFERENT TYPES OF TOBACCO IN INDONESIA

Abstract

Tobacco is the main raw material in the manufacture of cigarettes. Various kinds of cigarette products in Indonesia have been widely known and exported to foreign countries. Geographical conditions, and planting techniques for the processing of tobacco leaves can give different flavors to each cigarette product. However, this does not change the negative impact caused by smoking. The resulting free radicals would give changes to the lungs and testes histologically. This study aimed to analyze histological changes caused by free radicals from various types of tobacco in Indonesia. Wistar rats were exposed to smoke from 3 types of tobacco leaves in Indonesia, namely Rejeb, Jinten, and Melati Tumpeng, then the histological changes in lung and testicular organs were examined. Exposure to tobacco leaves was carried out for 30 days. The parameters in this study were the mean numbers of alveolar macrophages in the lungs and sperm in the testes in 10 visual fields. The results showed that there was a difference between the control group and the treatment group (p=0.004), where there was an increase in malondialdehyde levels and a decrease in sperm count in experimental animals exposed to tobacco leaves. Various types of tobacco leaves in Indonesia, which are used as raw materials for cigarettes, can pose a health impact by increasing free radicals and decreasing sperm count.