CLOMIPHENE CITRATE REDUCES PROCARBAZINE-INDUCED STERILITY IN A RAT MODEL

Chemotherapy with the cytotoxic drug procarbazine (PCB) causes permane nt infertility in most male patients. Since many patients treated with this cytotoxic drug are of reproductive age, it is important to devel op a method to protect spermatogenesis and fertility. It has been hypo thesised that 'spermatogenic arrest' by pharmacological intervention m ay render the testes less susceptible to the effects of chemotherapy. The present study investigated whether recovery of fertility in a male rat model could be achieved by suppression of spermatogenesis with hi gh doses of clomiphene citrate (CC) prior to PCB administration. It wa s demonstrated that young male rats treated with a combination of CC a nd PCB partially recovered spermatogenesis and achieved almost normal fertility. In contrast, animals treated with PCB alone exhibited abnor mal spermatogenesis and remained infertile.