Mitochondrial respiration inhibitors and human sperm motility: implication in the development of spermicides.

Three inhibitors of the mitochondrial respiratory chain, rotenone, antimycin A, potassium cyanide and the uncoupler of oxidative phosphorylation, 2,4‐dinitrophenol, were tested for their sperm immobilizing effects with a trans‐membrane migration method. None of these drugs inhibited human sperm motility at the concentrations of 10(‐ 6), 10(‐5), 10(‐4) and 10(‐3) M. The suggestion to develop spermicidal contraceptives from mitochondrial respiration inhibitors could not be substantiated; and the theory that motility inhibiting drugs act primarily on the sperm membrane was reconfirmed.

DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.1983.tb02204.x

View this article

• Full article (html)
• Enhanced article (html)
• PDF
• References