Effects of metronidazole, ipronidazole, and dibromochloropropane on rabbit and human sperm motility and fertility.

Treatment of protozoal pathogens in the reproductive system with chemical agents exposes flagellated sperm cells to potential toxicants. A widely used antiprotozoal agent is metronidazole. Its effect on rabbit and human sperm was compared with a more soluble 5-nitroazole compound, ipronidazole, and with a systemic environmental toxicant, dibromochloropropane (DBCP). The percentages of motile rabbit and human sperm incubated with the compounds, the velocity of sperm, migration of sperm in polyacrylamide gel, young born in rabbits, and penetration of hamster oocytes by treated human sperm were measured in seven experiments. Up to 10mg/ml metronidazole and 1mg/ml DBCP had little effect on most sperm characteristics. However, 10mg/ml metronidazole and 5mg/ml of ipronidazole increased attachment of human sperm to hamster oocytes, but oocyte penetration was unaffected. Rabbit sperm exposed to 5mg/ml ipronidazole were infertile. No oocytes were penetrated by DBCP-treated human sperm.