The effect of diazepam on rates of fertilization in the CF-1 mouse

Diazepam in a dose of 0.75, 1.25, or 2.5 mg was force-fed to mice during 3 days of oocyte maturation and superovulation induced with pregnant mare's serum and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Twenty-two hours after hCG was administered, rates of fertilization were determined in squash preparations. Increasing doses of diazepam were associated with increasing numbers of degenerated eggs and decreasing rates of fertilization when compared to results in control animals. Chromosome preparations of ova from treated animals confirmed the chromatin degeneracy an failed to document an arrest of maturation of the ova. Correlative serum levels of diazepam and desmethyldiazepam were measured in blood obtained 2 hours after the indicated dose.