ABSTRACT
To evaluate the efficacy and feasibility of a new regimen of low-dose gossypol acetic acid (GA) combined with desogestrel/ethinylestradiol and testosterone undecanoate (DSG/E/TU) as a male contraceptive, adult male rats were fed orally with GA (12.5 mg/kg/day) and DSG (0.125 mg/kg)/E (0.025 mg/kg)/TU (100 mg/kg) daily for 8 weeks as loading dose until infertility, and a similar low dose of GA alone for infertility maintenance. Control animals were administered a single low dose of GA (12.5 mg/kg/day) or DSG (0.125 mg/kg)/E (0.025 mg/kg)/TU (100 mg/kg), and vehicle, respectively. Results demonstrated that the combined dosage regimen could damage epididymal sperm motility and density, and induce infertility within 8 weeks in rats; the infertility could be consistently sustained by giving single GA (12.5 mg/kg/day), and was reversible in about 8 weeks following withdrawal of gossypol. The regimen rendered treated male rats with spermiation failure within a period of 6-20 weeks of treatment. Also, the serum luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone and testicular interstitial fluid testosterone levels showed a transient decrease at the end of 6 or 8 weeks, which returned to control levels after 8 weeks of recovery phase. No hypokalemia or other adverse effects in viscera were observed. These results provide a promising approach to using the new regimen for the development of an effective and reversible oral male contraceptive.
