title: An in vivo evaluation of the induction of abnormal sperm morphology by sulphamethoxypyridazine: pyrimethamine (Metakelfin).
abstract: The effects of sulphamethoxypyridazine: Pyrimethamine (Metakelfin) a combination antimalarial drug on mouse sperm head morphology were evaluated in University of Ibadan Veterinary F1 mice. Five different dose levels of 3.85:0.19; 7.7:0.38; 15.4:0.76; 23.1:1.13 and 30.8:1.54 mg kg(-1) body weight of sulphamethoxypridazine:pyrimetamine, respectively were administered to the animals by a schedule of 5 consecutive daily intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections. The sperm of the mice from the cauda epididymis were examined 5 weeks after treatment. Metakelfin induced sperm head abnormalities; however, of the 5 doses sampled; only the 7.7:0.38 mg kg(-1) dose, corresponding to 0.5x the human therapeutic dose (HTD0), gave a statistically significant (p > 0.05) increase over the negative control value of 2.53% abnormality. All the other dose level treatments did not yield statistically significant increase over the negative control value. The 15.4:0.77 mg kg(-1) dose showed 3.5% abnormality and fewer abnormalities than the preceding lower dose. The drug is probably not mutagenic as induction of sperm head abnormality was not dose dependent.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria.
authors.forename: O A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Otubanjo
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Mosuro
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004338:Drug Combinations; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009549:Nigeria; D011739:Pyrimethamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013077:Sperm Head / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D013415:Sulfalene / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials; D004338:Drug Combinations; C050416:metakelfin; D013415:Sulfalene; D011739:Pyrimethamine