ScienceAsia 12 (1986): 213-223 |doi: 10.2306/scienceasia1513-1874.1986.12.213

STUDIES ON THE EFFECTS OF GOSSYPOL IN MALE CYNOMOLGUS MONKEY. I. SEMEN ANALYSIS

SUKUMAL CHONGTHAMMAKUN,^a PARISHAT SUKHATO,^b KANOK PAVASUTHIPAISIT^a AND M.R. PUTTIPONGSE VARAVUDHI^c

ABSTRACT: To investigate the effectiveness of the antifertility action of gossypol in the subhuman primate, various doses of gossypol were administered intramuscularly to 12 male cynomolgus monkeys. The doses ranged from 0.25 to 1.25 mg/kg/day or week, for 8 weeks. The semen was examined weekly for sperm concentration, motility, velocity and morphological characteristics. The total sperm count per ejaculation fluctuaied in both treated and control groups. The percent sperm motility and the average sperm velocity (pm/sec) decreased gradually and significantly with duration and dose of treatment in all treated animals. The major abnormalities observed in sperm were coiled and broken tails as well as decapitation. The present study suggested that the antifertility effect of gossypol may be mediated through its suppressive effect on sperm motility which appears to be related to both the dose and the tail lesion. Doses of 0.25 mg/kg/week and 0.5 mg/kg/2 weeks for 8 weeks showed significant suppression of sperm motility without causing any toxicity .

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a Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand.
b Artificial Insemination Department, Live Stock Division.
c Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10500, Thailand.

Received 2 June 1986