Reproductive performance and fertility in male and female adult mice chronically treated with hexarelin

PUECHAGUT PB; MARTINI AC; STUTZ G; SANTILLÁN ME; FIOL DE CUNEO M; RUIZ RD; VINCENTI LM

REPRODUCTION FERTILITY AND DEVELOPMENT

CSIRO PUBLISHING

Año: 2012 vol. 24 p. 451 - 460

1031-3613

Hexarelin (HEXr) has been associated with reproductive physiology. In previous studies we detected, in adult mice, that HEXr induces significantly reduced ovulation rate and accelerated neurobiological maturation, reduced memory acquisition in adulthood and significant correlation coefficients between sexual maturation and corporal weight in their offspring. In this study we investigated the effects of chronic HEXr administration on sperm concentration and functional activity, estrous cyclicity, pregnancy index, number of fetuses and its relation with the number of corpora lutea. Adult Albino swiss mice were injected (sc) daily with HEXr, 100 ug/kg/day (HEXr D1) or 200 ug/kg/day (HEXr D2) for 53 in males and 30 days in females. HEXr did not significantly affects the most of the parameters evaluated in both sexes. Howerever, a significant decreased ratio: number of fetuses/corpora lutea in females also administered with HEXr D2 during the first 6 days of pregnancy and a downward trend in the pregnancy index and the percentage of females impregnated by each treated male suggest certain effects of HEXr on the implantation process and/or aerly development of embryos and in vivo reproductive capability of males.