Volume 5, Issue 3 (7-2007)                   IJRM 2007, 5(3): 69-0 | Back to browse issues page

XML Print

Download citation:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:
Sohrabi D, Alipour M, Awsat Mellati A. Effect of metronidazole on spermatogenesis, plasma gonadotrophins and testosterone in rats. IJRM 2007; 5 (3) :69-0
URL: http://ijrm.ir/article-1-70-en.html
Effect of metronidazole on spermatogenesis, plasma gonadotrophins and testosterone in rats
Davoodi Sohrabi * 1, Mohsen Alipour2 , Ali Awsat Mellati3
1- Department of Histology and Embryology, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran , sohrabidavood@yahoo.com
2- Department of Physiology, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
3- Department of Biochemistry Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
Abstract:   (3058 Views)
Metronidazole and its derivatives have both antiprotozoal and anti bacterial effects. The reproductive toxicity of metronidazole has been observed in some studies. The aim of this study was to determine the detrimental effects of metronidazole on spermatogenesis and testicular androgenesis in male adult rats. Eighteen male Wistar rats (70-90 days old) were randomly divided into three groups. Animals in group I (Control group) were administered with the water only. Animals in groups II and III were administered with metronidazol at the doses of 200 or 400 mg/kg/day for 60 days. Quantitative analysis of spermatogenesis was carried out by counting the relative number of each variety of germ-cells at the stage VII of the seminiferous epithelium cycle, i.e. type-A spermatogonia (ASg), pre-leptotene spermatocytes (pLSc), and step 7 spermatids (7Sd). Plasma follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone were measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA). In groups II and III, there was a significant decrease in the testes, accessory sex organ weights, plasma concentrations of LH, FSH and testosterone with massive degeneration of all the germ cells at stage VII. Our data concluded that metronidazole has a suppressive influence on spermatogenesis and sex hormones in rats.
Keywords: Metronidazole, Spermatogenesis, Gonadotrophins, Testosterone
Full-Text [PDF 101 kb]   (621 Downloads) |   |   Full-Text (HTML)  (511 Views)  
Type of Study: Original Article |
References
1. McClain RM, Downing JC, Edgcomb JE. Effect of metronidazole on fertility and testicular function in male rats. Fundam Appl Toxicol 1989; 12:386-396. [DOI:10.1016/0272-0590(89)90014-6]
2. Grover JK , Vats V , Srinavas M , Das SN , Jha P , Gupta DK , et al . Effect of metronidazole on spermatogenesis and FSH, LH and testosterone levels of pre-Pubertal rats. Indian J Exp Biol 2001; 39:1160-1166.
3. McClain RM, Downing JC .Reproduction studies in rats treated with ornidazole. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 1988; 92:480-487. [DOI:10.1016/0041-008X(88)90187-1]
4. Bone W, Yeung CH, Skupin R, Haufe G, Cooper TG. Toxicity of ornidazole and it analogues to rat spermatozoa as reflected in motility parameters. Int J Androl 1998; 20: 347-349. [DOI:10.1046/j.1365-2605.1998.00077.x]
5. Schwartz DE, Jordan JC, Vetter W, Oesterhelt G. Metabolic studies of ornidazole in the rat in the dog and in man. Xenobiotica 1979; 9:571-581. [DOI:10.3109/00498257909042323]
6. Jones AR, Cooper TG. Metabolism of 36Cl-Ornidazole after oral application to the male rat in relation to its antifertility activity. Xenobiotica 1996; 27: 711-721. [DOI:10.1080/004982597240299]
7. Jones AR , Stevenson D , Hutton P, Dawson AG .The Antifertility action of alpha Chlorohydramin metabolism by rat and boar sperm. Experientia 1981; 37: 340-341 [DOI:10.1007/BF01959850]
8. Jones AR and Stevenson D. Formation of the active antifertility metabolite of S-alpha - chlorohydrin in boar sperm. Experientia 1983; 39:784-785 [DOI:10.1007/BF01990326]
9. Oberlander G, Yeung CH, Cooper TG. Influence of oral administration of ornidazole on capacitationand the activity ofsome glycolytic enzymes of rat spermatozoa . Reproduc Fertil 1996; 106: 231-239 [DOI:10.1530/jrf.0.1060231]
10. Yeyng CH, Oberlander G, Cooper TG. Effect of the male antifertility agent ornidazole on sperm function in vitro and in the female genital tract. Journal of Reproductive and Fertility 1995; 103: 257-264. [DOI:10.1530/jrf.0.1030257]
11. Bone W, Jones NG, Kamp G, Yeung CH, Cooper TG. Effect of ornidazole on fertility of male rats: Inhibition of glycolysis-related motility pattern and zona binding required for fertilization in vitro. Reprod Fertil 2000; 118:127-135. [DOI:10.1530/jrf.0.1180127]
12. Pang XB, Zhu Y, Lih G, Zhou H, Zhu JW, Liao AH, et al. Effect of ornidazole on sperm in rats and its mechanism of action. Zhonghua Nan .Ke Xue 2005; 11:26-28.
13. Leblond CP, Clermont Y. Definition of the stages of seminiferous epithelium in the rat. Ann NewYork Acad Sci 1952; 21:199-203.
14. Russell LD, Alger LF, Naquin LG. Hormonal control of pubertal spermatogenesis. Endocrinol 1987; 120 :1615-1632. [DOI:10.1210/endo-120-4-1615]
15. Chowdhury AK. Dependence of testicular germ cells on hormones: A quantitative study in hypophysectomized testosterone - treated rats .J Endocrinology 1979; 83:331-340. [DOI:10.1677/joe.0.0820331]
16. Foote RH. Effect of metronidazole, Ipronidazole and dibromochloropropane on rabbit and human sperm motility and fertility. Reproductive Toxicology 2002; 16:749-755. [DOI:10.1016/S0890-6238(02)00052-7]
17. Menendez D, Bendesky A, Rojas E, Salamanca F, Ostrosky- Wegman P. Role of P53 functionality in the genotoxicity of metronidazole and its hydroxy metabolite. Mutat Res 2002; 501:57-67. [DOI:10.1016/S0027-5107(02)00012-X]
18. Patanelli DJ: Suppression of fertility in the male. In: Handbook of Endocrinology. Eds.: D. W. Hamilton & C. Greep. Am. Physiol. Soc.,Washington, D. C., 1975; pp. 245-258.
19. Joshie SR, Bishop Y, Epstein SS: Chemical agents affecting testicular function and male fertility. In: The testis. Eds.: W. R. Johnson, W. R. Gomes & N. H. van Demark. Academic Press, New York, 1977; pp. 605-627.
20. Dixon RL, Lee IP. Possible role of the blood-testis barrier in dominant lethal testing. Environ. Health Perspect 1977; 6, 59-63. [DOI:10.1289/ehp.730659]
21. Okumura K, Lee IO, Dixon RL. Permeability of selected drugs and chemicals across the blood testis barrier of the rat. J Pharmacol Exp Therap 1975; 191: 89-95.
22. Okipii AMM, Myllyle VV, Hokkanen E, Jokipii L. Penetration of the brain barrier by metronidazole and tinidazole. J Antimicrob Chemoth.1977; 3: 1-7. [DOI:10.1093/jac/3.3.239]
23. Nahas Abeer FEL ,Ashmawy Ibrahim MEL . Reproductive and cyto genetic toxicity of metronidazole in male mice. Pharmacology Toxicology 2004;94 :226-2 [DOI:10.1111/j.1742-7843.2004.pto940505.x]
Send email to the article author

Rights and permissions
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Designed & Developed by : Yektaweb