Induction of Temporary Infertility in Rams with an Orally Administered Chlorohydrin

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Abstract
The effect of daily oral administration of the chlorohydrin, 3-chloro-1,2-propanediol (U-5897), at the rate of 25 mg/kg of body weight for 25 days on semen characteristics and fertility of five mature Southdown rams was studied. Semen volume, sperm cell concentration and total sperm in the first ejaculate were not affected significantly by the treatment. Percent motile sperm cells was significantly (P<.01) decreased by the treatment (18.1% vs. 58% during pretreatment tests). A significant decline in percent motile cells occurred as early as the third day after the compound was administered. Semen collected the third day of treatment contained 31% motile cells compared with 62% motile cells on the final pretreatment day. Percent abnormal cells was significantly (P<.01) higher during and after treatment (19.2 and 17.2% vs. 7.9% during pretreatment tests). There was no noticeable effect of U-5897 on libido. All five rams lost the ability to fertilize ova after they had received the compound for a period of 12 days. None of 17 ova recovered from 15 ewes bred during treatment was cleaved, and none contained sperm cells in the zona pellucida. Normal fertility returned by the third week after end of treatment, since 12 of the 14 ova recovered from 10 ewes bred during this period were cleaved. Sperm cells were present in 57.2% of the zonae of ova recovered from ewes bred post-treatment. There was no significant difference between treatment and post-treatment semen fructose levels. These data suggest that U-5897 has a reversible antifertility activity in rams mediated at the epididymal level. Copyright © 1970. American Society of Animal Science . Copyright 1970 by American Society of Animal Science

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