[Effect of ornidazole on sperm in rats and its mechanism of action].
OBJECTIVE
To explore the reductive effect of ornidazole on sperm motility in rats and its mechanism of action.


METHODS
Twenty rats were randomly divided into three groups, a low dosage group (LD group, n = 5), a high dosage group (HD group, n = 8) and a normal control group (n = 7). Ornidazole (200 mg/kg, 400 mg/kg) was given to the LD and HD groups, and 0.5% carboxymethylcellulose sodium (CMC) administered to the normal control, all for 20 consecutive days. Immediately after, sperm density, motility and the morphological changes of the testis and epidiclymis were measured, and the concentrations of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), alpha-glycosidase, malondialdehyde (MDA) and fructose in the testis and epididymis tissues were monitored.


RESULTS
Compared with the normal control, there were no obvious changes in sperm density (P > 0.05), but a significant decrease in sperm motility in the LD and HD groups (P < 0.01), and the concentration of LDH obviously declined (P < 0.01) while that of MDA distinctly increased in the HD group (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Spermatogenic cells could be damaged by the increase of inhibiting MDA, while sperm motility could be decreased by inhibiting energetic transferase or non-protein substance in the epididymis. This might be one of the mechanisms of ornidazole on weak sperm models in rats.
Pang
Xue-bing
XB
Family Planning Research Institute, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China. pxb55@hotmail.com
Zhu
Yang
Y
Li
Hong-gang
HG
Zhou
Hui
H
Zhu
Ji-wang
JW
Liao
Ai-hua
AH
Chang
Cui-fang
CF
D000818:Animals; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004822:Epididymis / Q000166:cytology; D008297:Male; D009950:Ornidazole / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013076:Sperm Count; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000187:drug effects; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects*; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology
D009950:Ornidazole