The effect of high doses of methyl-CCNU on male and female fertility in SJL/J mice.

Single IP injection of high dose (LD 10) of methyl-CCNU administered to sexually mature male mice resulted in severe inhibition of spermatogenesis and reduction in testicular wet weight, without significant changes in plasma testosterone levels, and with hyperplasia of the interstitum, including Leydig cells, in the testis. These effects were temporary, spermatogenesis and testiculer weight recovered 50 days after treatment. Mating of the treated males with normal females demonstrated absolute sterility at 20 days and full recovery at 50 days after treatment. Administration of a single lethal dose (38 mg/kg, LD70) of methyl-CCNU to immature (25 day-old) male mice also caused severe but temporary inhibition of spermatogenesis, and mating of mice which survived the treatment and reached sexual maturity, with normal females, resulted in 80 to 100% pregnancies at 40 and 70 days after treatment, respectively. Three repeated injections of 30 mg/kg (at 10 day intervals) of methyl-CCNU to 15 day-old male mice resulted in inhibition of spermatogenesis without alteration in plasma testosterone. Ninety days after this treatment, only 40% of matings with normal females resulted in pregnancies. Female mice treated once with 20 mg/kg of methyl-CCNU, 3 days before or 7 days after mating with normal males, showed complete failure to complete pregnancy-resorption of the embryos was demonstrated in those female mice treated 7 days after mating. After a second mating trial with these two treated groups, performed 40 to 55 and 42 days after the first trial, respectively, 80 and 86% of the females delivered offspring. However, average litter size was reduced to 4 in the second group, as compared to 8 in untreated mice. There were no apparent birth defects in the offspring of methyl-CCNU treated male or female mice.