Abstract
Opioid narcotics are present in seminal plasma, although their physiological effect on spermatozoa is still unknown. This study reports data on metabolic parameters of human spermatozoa in the presence of a met-enkephalin analogue: D-Ala2-Mephe4-Met-(o)-ol-Enkephalin, FK 33824, Sandoz, Basel, Switzerland (DAMME), and its receptor antagonist naloxone hydrochloride, Endo Laboratories, Garden City, New York. Our findings indicate that the metenkephalin analogue reduces sperm motility and cellular O2 consumption without affecting cellular ATP content and viability. The hypothesis that DAMME acts on adenylate-cyclase is briefly discussed.
MeSH terms
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Adenosine Triphosphate / analysis*
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Carbonyl Cyanide p-Trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone / pharmacology
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Cell Survival / drug effects
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Cyclic AMP / metabolism
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D-Ala(2),MePhe(4),Met(0)-ol-enkephalin / pharmacology*
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Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
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Humans
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Male
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Naloxone / pharmacology
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Oligomycins / pharmacology
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Oxygen Consumption* / drug effects
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Sperm Motility / drug effects*
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Spermatozoa / analysis*
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Spermatozoa / drug effects
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Theophylline / pharmacology
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Time Factors
Substances
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Oligomycins
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Naloxone
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Carbonyl Cyanide p-Trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone
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D-Ala(2),MePhe(4),Met(0)-ol-enkephalin
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Adenosine Triphosphate
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Theophylline
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Cyclic AMP