Human spermicidal activity of inorganic and organic oxidants

Objective: To identify prospective oxidants that rapidly immobilize human s perm upon contact with human semen. Design: Inorganic, organic, and enzymatically-generated oxidants were mixed with human semen and spermicidal activity was tracked by a modified Sander -Cramer assay. Setting: Commercial and university-based laboratories. Patient(s): Semen samples obtained through a university-based andrology lab oratory. Intervention(s): Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures(s): Quantitation of spermicidal activity of test oxid ants. Result(s): Sperm lost motility within 20 seconds of exposure to enzymatical ly generated free iodine (I,). Toluidine blue, phenazine methosulfate, or m ethylene blue exhibited some, albeit much less, spermicidal activity. Oxida nts formed by mixing ascorbic acid with Fe(III)-EDTA, xanthine with xanthin e oxidase, or by exposing sperm to the nitric oxide generator, SIN-1 (3-mor pholinosydnonimine hydrochloride), were far less potent spermicidal agents. Conclusion(s): Free I, formed in situ and presented to semen is an extremel y potent spermicide. Additional studies on methods of generating de novo I, may be beneficial in developing a novel new class of nondetergent-based sp ermicides. (C) 2001 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine.