Sperm Motility Loss Induced by Gossypol: Relation with OH. Scavengers, Motile Stimulators and Malondialdehyde Production

• Published in: Biochemical and biophysical research communications Vol. 195; no. 3; pp. 1289 - 1293
• Main Authors: Fornes, M.W., Barbieri, A.M., Burgos, M.H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: San Diego, CA Elsevier Inc 30.09.1993; Elsevier
• Subjects: Aerobiosis; ALDEHIDOS; ALDEHYDE; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; ESPERMATOZOO; Free Radical Scavengers; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; GOSIPOL; GOSSYPOL; Gossypol - pharmacology; LIPIDE; LIPIDOS; Male; Malondialdehyde - metabolism; Mammalian male genital system; MANNITOL; Mannitol - pharmacology; MEDICAMENT; MEDICAMENTOS; MEMBRANAS CELULARES; MEMBRANE CELLULAIRE; Morphology. Physiology; MOUVEMENT; MOVIMIENTO; OXIDACION; OXYDATION; RAT; RATA; Rats; Sperm Motility - drug effects; SPERMATOZOIDE; TEOFILINA; THEOPHYLLINE; Theophylline - pharmacology; Vertebrates: reproduction; Vertebrata; Spermatozoa; Mammalia; Motility; Rat; Rodentia; Conjugated dienic compound; Gossypol; Radical scavenger
• ISSN: 0006-291X; 1090-2104
• DOI: 10.1006/bbrc.1993.2183

Aerobic incubation of rat spermatozoa in a balanced salt solution containing 10 μM of gossypol produced a loss of sperm motility. This effect was not reverted by the presence of 25 mM Teophylline, a well-known stimulant of motility, but was significantly diminished by the addition of 10 mM Mannitol. As mannitol is a superoxide scavenger and we found a close correlation between the loss of sperm motility and the malondialdehyde production, we concluded that gossypol affect rat spermatozoa by producing a peroxidative breakdown of membrane phospholipids.