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.