title: Subcapsular intratesticular assay: a preliminary screening method for putative male antifertility drugs.
abstract: The subcapsular intratesticular assay was developed for the preliminary screening of male antifertility agents. In the assay, small amounts of the test sample are injected twice, 1 week apart just beneath the tunica albuginea of the testes of rats. The rats were killed within 3 weeks of treatment to examine epididymal spermatozoa and the histology of the testis and epididymis. There is an excellent agreement between this method and the modified MB-50 assay developed by the World Health Organization. To date, more than 300 samples have been assayed, of which the results of 10 plant-derived compounds are reported here. Not one active sample has been missed as confirmed by the modified MB-50 method, although one compound which was positive in the subcapsular assay did not show antifertility action in the in-vivo assay. Compared with the latter assay, the advantages of this method are: simplicity, time-saving, rat-saving and the need for far smaller amounts of test sample. The absence of false-negative results makes the subcapsular intratesticular assay applicable as a preliminary screening method to test potential male fertility regulating agents.
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Family Planning Institute, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Y E
authors.initials: YE
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Y I
authors.initials: YI
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: S Z
authors.initials: SZ
authors.lastname: Qian
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D003272:Contraceptive Agents, Male / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical / Q000379:methods; D004822:Epididymis / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility / Q000187:drug effects*; D007267:Injections; D008297:Male; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013076:Sperm Count / Q000187:drug effects*; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000187:drug effects*; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D003272:Contraceptive Agents, Male; D010936:Plant Extracts