title: Inflammatory bowel disease and male infertility: effects of sulfasalazine and 5-aminosalicylic acid on sperm-fertilizing capacity and reactive oxygen species generation.
abstract: To investigate the mechanism of the antifertility action of sulfasalazine, we prospectively measured sperm density, motility, hamster oocyte penetration capacity, and reactive oxygen species production in six men with inflammatory bowel disease being treated with sulfasalazine and 8 and 16 weeks after changing to 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA). An improvement was observed after changing to 5-ASA in those with poor (n = 3), but not in those with normal (n = 3), sperm function on sulfasalazine. There was no correlation between reactive oxygen species production or acetylator phenotype with egg penetration capacity, sperm motility, or sperm density. We conclude that the mechanism of impairment and recovery of sperm function on and off sulfasalazine treatment is not related to an excess in reactive oxygen species.
authors.affiliation: Medical Reserch Council Reproductive Biology Unit, Center for Reproductive Biology, Edinburgh, Scotland.
authors.forename: F C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Aitken
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ferguson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000636:Aminosalicylic Acids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D006224:Cricetinae; D005260:Female; D005609:Free Radicals; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000139:chemically induced*; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D019804:Mesalamine; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013084:Sperm-Ovum Interactions / Q000187:drug effects*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000378:metabolism; D012460:Sulfasalazine / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013481:Superoxides / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000636:Aminosalicylic Acids; D005609:Free Radicals; D013481:Superoxides; D012460:Sulfasalazine; D019804:Mesalamine