A reversible contraceptive action of some 6-chloro-6-deoxy sugars in the male rat.

Male rats given daily doses of 240 mumol 6,6'-dichloro-6,6'-dideoxysucrose or 6'-chloro-6'-deoxysucrose or 6-chloro-6-deoxysucrose/kg for 28 days became infertile after 7 days and remained infertile during treatment. Fertility was partly recovered 3 weeks after the last dose and completely restored by 6 weeks. 6-Chloro-6-deoxyglucose and 6-chloro-6-deoxyfructose were also effective at this dose, but 6,1',6'-trichloro-6,1',6'-trideoxysucrose, 4,1',6'-trichloro-4,1',6'-trideoxygalactosucrose,4,6,-4',6'-tetrachloro-4,6,4',6'-tetradeoxygalactotrehalose and methyl-6-chloro-6-deoxy-alpha-D-glucopyranoside were not. Spermatozoa from the cauda epididymidis of infertile rats oxidized glucose more slowly than did spermatozoa from controls.