OFLOXACIN - THE NEXT-GENERATION OF ANTIBIOTIC IN SPERM AND EMBRYO CULTURES FOR ASSISTED REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGIES

Objective: To analyze the effect of different concentrations of ofloxa cin on sperm kinematic parameters and to determine the embryotoxicity of ofloxacin at physiologic and at 100X concentrations. Design: Prospe ctive comparative study. Setting: Clinical and academic research envir onment. Patient(s): Pooled cryopreserved donor sperm (n = 7). Interven tion(s): Human sperm were processed through two-layer discontinuous Pe rcoll gradients, and the resultant pellet was resuspended in either HE PES-buffered human tubal fluid medium containing different concentrati ons of ofloxacin or the control medium. After measuring the kinematic parameters, the percentages of apoptosis and viability were obtained. Next, the sperm DNA was extracted and polymerase chain reaction of bet a-globin gene was performed followed by denaturing gradient gel electr ophoresis. Mouse embryos recovered at the one-cell pronuclear or zygot e stages were cultured in the presence or absence of ofloxacin up to t he hatched blastocyst stage and differences in development were record ed. Main Outcome Measure(s): Sperm kinematic parameters, sperm beta-gl obin gene, and number of embryos reaching the hatched blastocyst stage . Result(s): The number of embryos exposed to control and physiologic ofloxacin concentrations showed comparable excellent growth. However, the 100X concentration significantly arrested development. Rates of sp erm viability and apoptosis measured 48 hours after exposure to the ab ove concentrations were not different from controls. No differences we re noted in the sperm kinematic parameters of sperm exposed to ofloxac in concentrations (1X, 10X, and 100X) or control medium after 0, 4, an d 48 hours of incubation. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of b eta-globin genes from DNA exposed to varying ofloxacin concentrations failed to show any point mutations. Conclusion(s): Ofloxacin was embry otoxic at pharmacologic concentrations (100X). At physiologic or highe r concentrations, ofloxacin appears to be safe and does not affect spe rm kinematic parameters when compared with controls. This may indicate that sperm motility parameters alone cannot be relied on to evaluate the effects of drugs on fertility and that in vitro embryologic studie s are essential. Ofloxacin at any concentration did not alter the rate s of sperm apoptosis or viability. Ofloxacin does not appear to be mut agenic as evidenced by the beta-globin gene analysis. (C) 1998 by Amer ican Society for Reproductive Medicine.