CHRONIC ADMINISTRATION OF NONSTEROIDAL-ANTIINFLAMMATORY DRUGS (NSAIDs): EFFECTS UPON MOUSE REPRODUCTIVE FUNCTIONS.

MARTINI AC; VINCENTI LM; SANTILLÁN ME; STUTZ G; KAPLAN R; RUIZ RD; FIOL DE CUNEO M

Revista de la Facultad de Ciencias Médicas

Secretaría de Ciencia y Tecnología, FCM-UNC

Año: 2008 vol. 65 p. 41 - 51

0014-6722

Although nonsteroidal-antiinflamatory drugs (NSAIDs) are widely employed for the treatment of acute and/or chronic diseases, most of the related publications that evaluate the effects of this drugs upon mammalian fertility employ high doses and acute administration, remaining the reproductive side effects of prostaglandins long-term inhibition unknown. The objective of the present study was to evaluate possible effects of chronic administration of low or moderate doses of NSAIDs upon mouse reproductive functions. Male or female mice were injected (i.p. for 60 or 35 days respectively) with: ibuprofen doses A, B or C (0.56, 1.12 or 1.68mg/100g/day respectively) or piroxicam doses A, B or C (0.028, 0.056 or 0.084mg/100g/day respectively). The evaluated reproductive parameters were: spontaneous and induced ovulation indexes, oocyte maturity and spermatozoa migration through the genital tract in females and in males, epididymal sperm functional activity (concentration, motility, viability, resistance to hypoosmotic shock, acrosomal status and other membrane maturity parameters). In both genders, in vitro and in vivo fertilization indexes, plasma levels of reproductive hormones and cyclooxigenase inhibition in reproductive tissues were also evaluated. In females ibuprofen (dose A) elicited a significant reduction in spontaneous and induced ovulation rates and piroxicam (dose A) diminished the concentration of spermatozoa found in the uterus after mating. Males treated with ibuprofen (dose B) only showed a reduction in the in vitro fertilization ability. In conclusion, our data reveal that chronic administration of ibuprofen or piroxicam can exert detrimental effects upon reproductive physiology, which depends on the doses and/or the drug employed.