THE EFFECT OF ANTIMICROBIAL THERAPY ON TESTICULAR ASPIRATE FLOW-CYTOMETRY

Many antibiotics have been shown to have adverse effects on spermatoge nesis. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) flow cytometry of testicular aspira te has been shown to be an effective method of quantitatively evaluati ng testicular function. To assess this problem, DNA flow cytometry of testicular aspirate was performed on 8 groups of rats, each of which r eceived antibiotics via daily gavage for 10 days. Aspirations were per formed on days 0, 11 and 56. Data thus obtained were analyzed using a two-way ANOVA with repeated measures. Antibiotics studied included cip rofloxacin 15 mg./kg./day, sulfamethoxazole (SMX) 20 mg./kg./day (with trimethoprim (TMP) 4 mg./kg./day), nitrofurantoin 7 mg./kg./day, oflo xacin 10 mg./kg./day, lomefloxacin 6 mg./kg./day, doxycycline 3 mg./kg ./day and norfloxacin 10 mg./kg./day. One group received the same SMX/ TMP dose, together with folate 0.014 mg./kg./day. A statistically sign ificant change in aspirate content on day 11 as compared with baseline existed in groups receiving TMP/SMX (p = 0.00025), nitrofurantoin (p = 0.0000043), ofloxacin (p = 0.000015) and doxycycline (p = 4.89 X 10( -9)). Control rats and the group receiving TMP/SNIX with folate showed no significant change. On day 56 the abnormality persisted in groups TMP/SMX (p = 0.042), nitrofurantoin (p = 0.001), ofloxacin (p = 0.036) and doxycycline (p = 0.003). Controls and groups receiving ciprofloxa cin, norfloxacin and lomefloxacin continued to show no statistically s ignificant difference from baseline on day 56. These data suggest that SMX/TMP, nitrofurantoin, ofloxacin and doxycycline significantly alte r spermatogenesis. Ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin and lomefloxacin had no apparent effect on spermatogenesis as measured by DNA flow cytometry.