Objective: To study the impact of glycosides of tripterygium wilfordii (GTW) on fertility, and the reversibility of this impact following intervention with cistanche deserticola (CD) and after withdrawal of GTW.
Methods: Ninety adult male KM mice were equally and randomly divided into 9 groups: 5 GTW groups, treated with GTW at 45.0, 30.0, 22.5, 15 and 7.5 mg/kg x d, respectively, 2 CD groups, administered GTW at 30.0 and 7.5 mg/kg x d, respectively, a drug withdrawal group, given GTW at 30.0 mg/ kg x d, and a control group, given 1% CMC solution, all intragastrically for 20 days. Then they were mated with female mice at the ratio of 1:2 for 7 days, followed by another 20 days of medication, the GTW groups at the same doses, the CD groups given CD additionally at 10.0 g/kg x d and 2.5 g/kg x d respectively, and the withdrawal group given 1% CMC solution only. Again they were mated with the same females, and the pregnancy rate was observed after each mating.
Results: The pregnancy rate dropped with the increase of the dose and medication time of GTW, which was 0% at 40 d in the 45.0 mg/kg x d GTW group (P < 0.01), but rose from 25% at 20 d to 55% at 40 d in the 10.0 g/kg x d CD group, and from 25% at 20 d to 56 % at 40 d in the withdrawal group.
Conclusion: The reproductive toxicity of GTW acts on male mice in a time- and dose-dependent manner, which can be reduced by Cistanche deserticola. The fertility of the male mice can be restored to normal 20 days after the cessation of GTW.