VARIATIONS OF GOSSYPOL SUSCEPTIBILITY IN RAT SPERMATOZOA DURING SPERMATOGENESIS

  • 1 January 1982
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 27  (1) , 42-46
Abstract
Sperm collected at 2 epididymal regions from various rat groups force-fed with gossypol were assayed for their ATP levels and motilities to examine their response to the antifertility effect of gossypol, a yellowish polyphenolic pigment from cottonseed oil. Rats receiving gossypol administration for 2 wk began to show a proportional decrease in spermatozoal ATP content and motility and this antifertility effect deepened with time. Recovery from the gossypol-induced ATP decrease also developed at 2 wk after the removal of gossypol administration. This rapid development of both the inhibitory and the recovery effects in a normal 53-day spermatogenic process might have stemmed from a change of susceptibility of gossypol inhibition during spermatogenesis. A model showing a more susceptible middle stage in spermatogenesis is proposed.

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