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Related Experiment Videos

Triptolide: a potential male contraceptive

Y Lue1, A P Sinha Hikim, C Wang

  • 1Division of Endocrinology, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California 90509, USA.

Journal of Andrology
|September 11, 1998
PubMed
Summary

Triptolide induces male infertility by drastically reducing sperm count and motility in the epididymis, with minimal impact on testicular function. This makes it a promising candidate for a post-testicular male contraceptive.

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Area of Science:

  • Reproductive Biology
  • Pharmacology
  • Toxicology

Background:

  • Tripterygium wilfordii compounds, including triptolide, exhibit antifertility effects in male rats.
  • The precise mechanism and target sites of triptolide's antifertility action remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of triptolide on male rat testes at infertility-inducing doses.
  • To identify the sites and elucidate the potential mechanisms underlying triptolide's antifertility effects.

Main Methods:

  • Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats received oral triptolide (50 or 100 microg/kg) or vehicle daily for 35 or 70 days.
  • Evaluated body weight, fertility, hormone levels (LH, FSH, testosterone), sperm parameters, and testicular histology.

Main Results:

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  • High-dose triptolide (100 microg/kg) rendered all rats infertile by day 70, with reduced fertility at a lower dose.
  • Significant decreases in cauda epididymal sperm count (68%) and motility (to near zero) were observed.
  • Testicular histology, Leydig cell volume, Sertoli cell number, and germ cell apoptosis remained largely unaffected, though minor reductions in tubule volume and round spermatids were noted.

Conclusions:

  • Triptolide induces infertility in male rats primarily by affecting epididymal sperm, not testicular function.
  • Its minimal adverse effects on the testes position triptolide as a potential lead compound for post-testicular male contraceptive development.