EFFECT OF MAYTENUS-ILICIFOLIA MART.EX. REISS ON SPERMATOGENESIS

The effect of the ethanolic extract of Maytenus ilicifolia Mart.ex. Re iss leaves on spermatogenesis was studied in Swiss mice by evaluating morphological characteristics by light and electron microscopy. The ex tract was administered at a dose of 200 mg/kg/day intraperitoneally fo r 20 days, and at a dose of 800 mg/kg/day orally for 30 days. Structur al analysis of the germ epithelium showed that treated animals were no t noticeably different from control animals. The alterations included some exfoliated immature germ cells, occasional germ cell death (recog nized as pyknotic nuclei) and a Jew vacuolized seminiferous tubules. U ltrastructurally, enlarged lipid droplets were found in Sertoli cells and swollen acrosomes occurred in early spermatids of animals treated with the higher dose. Sperm production indicated that the ethanolic ex tract of M. ilicifolia leaves did not contain substances sufficient to arrest spermatogenesis. CONTRACEPTION 1998;57:335-339 (C) 1998 Elsevi er Science Inc. All rights reserved.