The effect of procarbazine, an antineoplastic drug, on the reproductive system of male Syrian hamsters was studied. Exposure to procarbazine (5 daily doses ranging from 20 to 500 mg/kg body weight) resulted in 5- to 7.5-fold increase in sperm abnormalities, diminished sperm counts, and smaller testes within 4 wk. Transmission electron micrographs showed severe damage to the acrosomal plasma membrane and nucleus of the sperm head in treated hamsters. These findings corroborate the detrimental effect of procarbazine on the germinal tissue and strengthen the basis for using the sperm morphology assay for the detection of mutagens and possibly other germ-cell toxicants in an in vivo mammalian system.
Cyclophosphamide is an alkylating antineoplastic drug and has been shown to impair spermatogenesis after chronic exposures. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effect of cyclophosphamide on sperm production in hamsters following subacute intraperitoneal (ip) exposures. The Syrian hamster, Mesocricetus auratus, aged 10-11 wk, received single daily ip doses for 4 d ranging from 10 to 250 mg cyclophosphamide/kg body weight. Control hamsters received an equivalent volume of phosphate-buffered saline solution. Testis weight, caudal sperm number, and sperm morphology were monitored for 12 wk. Cyclophosphamide failed to induce sperm abnormalities. Testis weight and sperm count were slightly suppressed at wk 1 and 4 before returning to normal at wk 12. This study showed that subacute doses of cyclophosphamide in hamsters did not significantly affect the sperm production as previously reported in other animals.
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