Responses in organs, sperm, steroid hormones and CYP450 enzyme in male mice treated by quinestrol only or in conjunction with clarithromycin

Abstract Pest rodents persistently undermine crop yields and food security. Fertility control could be a viable alternative for managing rodent populations. This study investigates the antifertility effects of various concentrations of clarithromycin combined with 1.0 mg/kg quinestrol on male rodent...

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Main Authors: Yu Ji, Yujie Wang, Yuhang Liu, Yutong Liu, Jiao Qin, Daohuan Yuan, Quansheng Liu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2024-11-01
Series:Scientific Reports
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-78752-1
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author Yu Ji
Yujie Wang
Yuhang Liu
Yutong Liu
Jiao Qin
Daohuan Yuan
Quansheng Liu
author_facet Yu Ji
Yujie Wang
Yuhang Liu
Yutong Liu
Jiao Qin
Daohuan Yuan
Quansheng Liu
author_sort Yu Ji
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Pest rodents persistently undermine crop yields and food security. Fertility control could be a viable alternative for managing rodent populations. This study investigates the antifertility effects of various concentrations of clarithromycin combined with 1.0 mg/kg quinestrol on male rodents to determine an effective contraceptive dose that minimizes quinestrol usage, addressing key concerns such as potential environmental residue, which may impact ecological balance, and poor palatability, which could reduce ingestion and limit the sterilant’s effectiveness. Male mice were divided into five groups and administered different doses of clarithromycin or clarithromycin and quinestrol for three consecutive days, while the control group received sunflower seed oil only. After seven days, organ weights, reproductive organ weights, sperm density, serum hormone levels, and CYP3A4 content in small intestinal and liver tissues were measured to assess persistent effects. Compared with the control group, all treatment groups had significant reductions in epididymal weight, seminal vesicle weight, and serum T and LH levels. Higher concentrations of clarithromycin (2 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg) significantly impacted reproductive metrics, including sperm density, organ weights, and serum LH and testosterone levels, though complete sterilization was not achieved, with more than 60 million cauda epididymal spermatozoa remaining. However, the combination demonstrated potential as an effective strategy for male fertility control. The combination of 2.0 mg/kg clarithromycin and quinestrol can mitigate organ enlargement seen with quinestrol alone. This combination also decreased total enzyme content, thereby diminishing quinestrol’s induction of CYP3A4, which may increase the sterilization effectiveness of the treatment.
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spelling doaj-art-7ac54c48a2c846728dfb4d95947689dd2025-08-20T02:37:55ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222024-11-0114111010.1038/s41598-024-78752-1Responses in organs, sperm, steroid hormones and CYP450 enzyme in male mice treated by quinestrol only or in conjunction with clarithromycinYu Ji0Yujie Wang1Yuhang Liu2Yutong Liu3Jiao Qin4Daohuan Yuan5Quansheng Liu6Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of SciencesGuangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of SciencesGuangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of SciencesGuangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of SciencesGuangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of SciencesGuangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of SciencesGuangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of SciencesAbstract Pest rodents persistently undermine crop yields and food security. Fertility control could be a viable alternative for managing rodent populations. This study investigates the antifertility effects of various concentrations of clarithromycin combined with 1.0 mg/kg quinestrol on male rodents to determine an effective contraceptive dose that minimizes quinestrol usage, addressing key concerns such as potential environmental residue, which may impact ecological balance, and poor palatability, which could reduce ingestion and limit the sterilant’s effectiveness. Male mice were divided into five groups and administered different doses of clarithromycin or clarithromycin and quinestrol for three consecutive days, while the control group received sunflower seed oil only. After seven days, organ weights, reproductive organ weights, sperm density, serum hormone levels, and CYP3A4 content in small intestinal and liver tissues were measured to assess persistent effects. Compared with the control group, all treatment groups had significant reductions in epididymal weight, seminal vesicle weight, and serum T and LH levels. Higher concentrations of clarithromycin (2 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg) significantly impacted reproductive metrics, including sperm density, organ weights, and serum LH and testosterone levels, though complete sterilization was not achieved, with more than 60 million cauda epididymal spermatozoa remaining. However, the combination demonstrated potential as an effective strategy for male fertility control. The combination of 2.0 mg/kg clarithromycin and quinestrol can mitigate organ enlargement seen with quinestrol alone. This combination also decreased total enzyme content, thereby diminishing quinestrol’s induction of CYP3A4, which may increase the sterilization effectiveness of the treatment.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-78752-1Fertility controlClarithromycinQuinestrolCYP3A4
spellingShingle Yu Ji
Yujie Wang
Yuhang Liu
Yutong Liu
Jiao Qin
Daohuan Yuan
Quansheng Liu
Responses in organs, sperm, steroid hormones and CYP450 enzyme in male mice treated by quinestrol only or in conjunction with clarithromycin
Scientific Reports
Fertility control
Clarithromycin
Quinestrol
CYP3A4
title Responses in organs, sperm, steroid hormones and CYP450 enzyme in male mice treated by quinestrol only or in conjunction with clarithromycin
title_full Responses in organs, sperm, steroid hormones and CYP450 enzyme in male mice treated by quinestrol only or in conjunction with clarithromycin
title_fullStr Responses in organs, sperm, steroid hormones and CYP450 enzyme in male mice treated by quinestrol only or in conjunction with clarithromycin
title_full_unstemmed Responses in organs, sperm, steroid hormones and CYP450 enzyme in male mice treated by quinestrol only or in conjunction with clarithromycin
title_short Responses in organs, sperm, steroid hormones and CYP450 enzyme in male mice treated by quinestrol only or in conjunction with clarithromycin
title_sort responses in organs sperm steroid hormones and cyp450 enzyme in male mice treated by quinestrol only or in conjunction with clarithromycin
topic Fertility control
Clarithromycin
Quinestrol
CYP3A4
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-78752-1
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