RISUG: An intravasal injectable male contraceptive.

Over the last two decades RISUG has been drawing attention in the field of male contraception. It promises to sterile men for a period of up to 10-15 years. According to recent studies in animal models, it proves to be completely reversible. Practically, there are no better options available that can assure complete sterility and precise reversibility. Regardless of so much of information available, RISUG is still holding up for many reasons, firstly, the available information engender bewilderment such as what is this copolymer, how does it work and is reversal really possible? Secondly, advancement of this outstanding invention is drastically slow and thirdly, effects of long-term contraception with RISUG and reports on evaluation of anomalies (if any) in F1, F2 progenies, are lacking. In this review the lacunae as well as advances in the development of RISUG in the light of published work and available resources are pointed out. Formulation of the RISUG, its mode of action and clinical trials have been addressed with particular emphasis.

Perspectives of contraceptive choices for men.

Apart from condoms and vasectomy, which have several limitations of their own, no other methods of contraception are available to men. Various chemical, hormonal, vas based and herbal contraceptives have been examined and few of them have reached the stage of clinical testing. Promising leads have been obtained from testosterone buciclate/undecanoate, alone or in combination with levonorgestrel butanoate or cyproterone acetate, RISUG, an injectable intravasal contraceptive and a few herbal products, particularly the seed products of Carica papaya. It is feasible that an ideal male contraceptive, that meets out all the essential criteria will be made available to the community in the near future.

Antifertility investigations on the crude chloroform extract of Carica papaya Linn. seeds in male albino rats.

Crude chloroform extract of C. papaya seeds (5 mg/animal/day, po, for 20, 40 and 60 days) was investigated for contraceptive efficacy and related side effects in male albino rats. The crude extract reduced fertility to zero per cent by 40 to 60 days of treatment. Suppression of cauda epididymal sperm motility was the most pronounced effect of the drug administration. Scanning electron microscopic observations revealed treatment induced abnormalities in sperms. Cauda epididymal and testicular sperm counts decreased following treatment. Clinical parameters did not show any alterations. Results suggest that the contraceptive effects of chloroform extract of papaya seeds are mainly post-testicular in nature without influencing toxicological profile and libido of the animals.

Prostatic inhibin peptide: Occurrence, localization and its hormonal modulation in prostates of primates and rodents.

Immunocytochemical localization studies revealed the presence of 10·5 kDa inhibin in the prostatic epithelial cells of the human, non-human primates (Macaca radiata, Presbytis entellus, Callithrix jacchus), dog and laboratory rodents (guinea pigs, hamsters, rats and mice). The capability of the prostate gland to synthesize inhibin in vitro was shown by the incorporation of radiolabeled leucine into inhibin which was immunoprecipitated. Unlike most prostatic proteins, inhibin was found to be androgenindependent since no significant alteration in inhibin concentration in prostate occurred pre/post castration. Physicochemical and immunological characteristics of inhibin as revealed by high performance liquid chromatography and parallel dilution curve in a radioimmunoassay revealed similarities of inhibin in prostates of various species.

Effect of vasectomy on biochemical constituents of the blood in langur monkey--a 2 1/2 years follow up.

Bilaterally vasectomized langur monkeys were compared with age matched sham operated controls for biochemical constituents of the blood following 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 years of surgery. No appreciable changes were observed in blood glucose and blood urea and serum total protein, total lipid, phospholipid, total cholesterol, sialic acid, electrolytes (chloride, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, copper and zinc) and enzymes (LDH, alkaline phosphatase SGOT and SGPT) suggesting that long-term vasectomy does not cause adverse effects on general body metabolism including atherosclerosis.

Mechanism of acti on of chronically administered cannabis extract on the female genital tract of gerbils Meriones hurrianae.

Daily administration of cannabis extract (2.5 mg/day for a period of 60 days) caused degenerative changes in the ovarian tissue. Luteinization was inhibited. Corpus-luteum degeneration was conspicuous. Distinct effects were produced upon the uterine biochemistry, consisting of decreased RNA, protein, sialic acid and glycogen concentration of the uterus. Vaginal RNA and protein contents were low. An anti-estrogenic action of cannabis extract in female gerbils is suggested.

Effects of Cannabis extract on the response of accessory sex organs of adult male mice to testosterone.

Cannabis extract caused a marked reduction in the body weight and in the weights of seminal vesicles, ventral prostate, epididymis, preputial gland and perineal complex (Penis and its bulb and levator ani muscle) of castrated adult male mice. Cannabis extract administration in combination with testosterone propionate (TP) inhibited growth stimulation produced by TP alone. Anti-androgenic nature of the compound is suggested.