Radiation protection of male fertility in mouse and rat by a combination of 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan and a thiol compound (AET).
Sperm abnormalities and fall in total sperm count following different doses (4 Gy, 5 Gy and 6 Gy) of whole body gamma irradiation (WBGR) were studied in adult male Swiss strain A mice. The protecting ability of a combination of 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan (5-HTP, 100 mg/kg) and 2-aminoethyl isothiuronium bromide hydrobromide (AET, 20 mg/kg) was also investigated. Pretreatment with a 5-HTP+AET formulation i.p., 30 min before irradiation modified the fall in sperm counts significantly. Exposures to 4 Gy, 5 Gy and 6 Gy WBGR caused marked increase of sperm abnormalities which could be significantly reduced by pretreatment with 5-HTP-AET. WBGR with 4 Gy, 5 Gy and 6 Gy produced a short period of sterility associated with oligospermia but these abnormalities were corrected by pretreatment with 5-HTP+AET. This finding was supported by breeding experiments in pretreated adult male Sprague-Dawley rats which showed delivery of normal offsprings in drug-protected irradiated groups in contrast to irradiated controls.
George
S
S
Institute of Nuclear Medicine & Allied Sciences, Delhi, India.
Chuttani
K
K
Basu
S K
SK
D006916:5-Hydroxytryptophan / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility / Q000528:radiation effects*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D011837:Radiation-Protective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012661:Semen / Q000737:chemistry; D013076:Sperm Count; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000528:radiation effects*; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014916:Whole-Body Irradiation / Q000009:adverse effects; D015032:Zinc / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D000338:beta-Aminoethyl Isothiourea / Q000494:pharmacology*
D004338:Drug Combinations; D011837:Radiation-Protective Agents; D000338:beta-Aminoethyl Isothiourea; D006916:5-Hydroxytryptophan; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D015032:Zinc