title: Antifertility effect of busulfan and DL-6-(N-2-pipecolinomethyl)-5-hydroxy-indane maleate (PMHI) in coyotes (Canis Latrans ).
abstract: Antifertility effects of busulfan were evaluated using adult coyotes. In addition, antifertility effects of PMHI were evaluated in adult males. Adult males and females were alloted randomly to the following treatments: (1) untreated control, (2) a single oral dose of 3 mg busulfan/kg of body weight (BW) or (3) two oral doses of 3 mg busulfan/kg BW given nine days apart. The untreated males were used as controls in both experiments. Additional male coyotes were allotted randomly to PMHI treatments as follows: (1) a single oral dose of 2 mg PMHI/kg BW, or (2) two oral doses of 1 mg PMHI/kg BW given seven days apart. Blood samples were taken from females and serum analyzed for progesterone by radioimmunoassay. Males were hemicastrated (left testicle) 30 days after onset of treatment. The right testicle was removed 30 days later. Testes and epididymides were fixed in 10% buffered formalin and prepared for histologic examination. For females developing corpus luteum (CL), the maximum peak progesterone concentration for those given two doses of busulfan was less (P<0.05) than that for untreated controls and single-dose females (16.9, 22.4 and 26.3 ng/ml, respectively). The double treatment of busulfan prevented more females (4 of 10) from developing CL (P<0.08) than controls (0 of 7) or single-dose females (1 of 9). None of the busulfan-treated male coyotes had histologic evidence of spermatogenesis 60 days after the onset of treatment. The oral dose or doses of PMHI did not result in complete degeneration of seminiferous tubules. Busulfan given orally did not cause any adverse reactions, but orally administered PMHI often induced vomiting within 18 min after treatment. We conclude that busulfan is capable of affecting male and female reproductive parameters, but PMHI appears to have little effect on spermatogenesis in coyotes when given orally in a single- or a double-dose.
authors.affiliation: U.S. Department of Agriculture U.S. Sheep Experiment Station Dubois, ID 83423 USA.
authors.forename: J N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Stellflug
authors.forename: C W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Leathers
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Green