EFFECTS OF COTRIMOXAZOLE, ERYTHROMYCIN, AMOXICILLIN, TETRACYCLINE ANDCHLOROQUINE ON SPERM FUNCTION IN-VITRO

This in-vitro study was designed to investigate the effects of commonl y prescribed antibiotics on sperm movement characteristics, viability and the ability of spermatozoa to undergo the acrosome reaction. Sperm atozoa were obtained by swim-up from normozoospermic semen and culture d for 24 h with increasing concentrations of cotrimoxazole, erythromyc in, amoxycillin, tetracycline and chloroquine, Tetracycline at concent rations as low as 2.5 mu g/ml led to a significant dose-dependent inhi bition in percent rapid-moving spermatozoa, mean path velocity (VAP), straight-line velocity (VSL) and curvilinear velocity (VCL), but at 50 mu g/ml tetracycline all spermatozoa were static. Erythromycin had si gnificant effects on rapid movement, VAP, VSL and VCL only at concentr ations >100 mu g/ml, In contrast, percent rapid-moving spermatozoa was significantly enhanced at low concentrations of chloroquine (5 mu g/m l), but significantly inhibited by higher concentrations. Co-trimoxazo le did not adversely affect percent rapid-moving spermatozoa below 500 mu g/ml, at which concentration movement was decreased by 34%. The me an lateral head displacement (ALH) was significantly enhanced by 5 mu g/ml co-trimoxazole and reduced at 1 mg/ml erythromycin, The effects o f these drugs were mostly irreversible. Amoxycillin had no effect on s perm movement characteristics over the dose range used, though it inhi bited viability at high doses. Viability was significantly reduced at concentrations of all drugs which affect rapid sperm movement; these c oncentrations of drugs did not appear to affect the ability of spermat ozoa to undergo the acrosome reaction. The results from this study whe n combined with known effects on spermatogenesis, should facilitate th e choice of drugs for the treatment of both genitourinary and unrelate d infections in men who are attempting to conceive.