Srikanth V, Malini T, Arunakaran J, Govindarajulu P, Balasubramanian K
Department of Endocrinology, Dr. A.L.M. Post Graduate Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Madras, Taramani, Chennai, India.
J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 1999 Feb;288(2):509-15.
Alcoholics are often associated with fertility disturbances with low sperm count and impaired sperm motility. Spermatozoa attains forward motility and fertilizing capacity during their transit through the epididymis. Epididymal secretory products form a suitable microenvironment, which favors sperm maturation. To study the effects of ethanol on epididymal sperm maturation, ethanol (3 g/kg body weight as 25%, v/v) was given by gastric intubation twice daily for 30 days, and in another group, rats given treatment for 30 days were withdrawn of treatment for a further period of 30 days to assess the reversibility of ethanol-induced changes. Serum and epididymidal testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT), epididymidal tissue and sperm carnitine, acetyl carnitine, glycerylphosphoryl choline (GPC), and sialic acid were studied along with epididymidal sperm count and cauda epididymidal sperm motility. Ethanol treatment significantly reduced the epididymal tissue/sperm carnitine, acetyl carnitine, GPC, and sialic acid, suggesting its adverse effect on these secretory products. Impaired cauda epididymidal sperm motility and fertility (in vivo) of ethanol-treated rats imply the defective sperm maturation. All these changes were reverted back to normalcy after withdrawal of ethanol treatment, indicating the transient effects of ethanol. In conclusion, it is evident that ethanol has an adverse effect on sperm maturation, which may be affected due to the decrease in serum/epididymal testosterone and DHT level and epididymal secretory products.
酗酒者常伴有生育障碍，表现为精子数量少和精子活力受损。精子在通过附睾的过程中获得向前运动的能力和受精能力。附睾分泌产物形成适宜的微环境，有利于精子成熟。为研究乙醇对附睾精子成熟的影响，通过胃管每日两次给予乙醇（3 g/kg体重，25%，v/v），持续30天，另一组中，接受30天治疗的大鼠在停药后再持续观察30天，以评估乙醇诱导变化的可逆性。研究了血清和附睾中的睾酮和双氢睾酮（DHT）、附睾组织和精子中的肉碱、乙酰肉碱、甘油磷酸胆碱（GPC）和唾液酸，同时还研究了附睾精子数量和附睾尾部精子活力。乙醇处理显著降低了附睾组织/精子中的肉碱、乙酰肉碱、GPC和唾液酸，表明其对这些分泌产物有不良影响。乙醇处理的大鼠附睾尾部精子活力受损和生育力（体内）下降意味着精子成熟存在缺陷。乙醇处理停止后，所有这些变化都恢复正常，表明乙醇的影响是短暂的。总之，显然乙醇对精子成熟有不良影响，这可能归因于血清/附睾睾酮和DHT水平以及附睾分泌产物的减少。
