title: Atropine-induced inhibition of sperm and semen transport impairs fertility in male rats.
abstract: Previous studies revealed that atropine reduced male fertility in rats without any effects on mating performance, sperm production and motility, and testicular morphology. The present study was conducted to investigate whether the impairment of male fertility induced by atropine was related to the inhibition of sperm and semen transports from the vas deferens and seminal vesicle to the urethra during the process of emission. Male rats were treated with atropine at 125 mg/kg/day for 10-17 days prior to mating with untreated females. After confirmation of mating, male rats were euthanized and sperm number in the vas deferens and weights of the seminal vesicle and copulatory plug were determined as indicators of inhibition of sperm and semen transports, respectively. Reproductive status of mated females was determined on gestation days 15-17. A low pregnancy rate associated with a decreased number of implants was observed in females that mated with the atropine-treated males. The average number of sperm in the vas deferens was increased in the atropine-treated males. The average seminal vesicle weight in the atropine-treated males was greater than that of controls. The copulatory plug weights were decreased in the atropine-treated males. These results suggest that inhibitions of sperm and semen transports from the vas deferens and seminal vesicle to the urethra during the process of emission result in reduced male fertility in rats.
authors.affiliation: Tsukuba Safety Assessment Laboratories, Banyu Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Ibaraki.
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Yoshiki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ban
authors.forename: Miki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Uchida
authors.forename: Eri
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gondo
authors.forename: Masakatsu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Yoshiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sekiguchi
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sakaue
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kemi
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakatsuka
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D001285:Atropine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility / Q000187:drug effects; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D018727:Muscarinic Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012661:Semen / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D012669:Seminal Vesicles / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D013076:Sperm Count / Q000379:methods; D013083:Sperm Transport / Q000187:drug effects*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000166:cytology; D013997:Time Factors; D014621:Vagina / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D014649:Vas Deferens / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D018727:Muscarinic Antagonists; D001285:Atropine