Exposure to first line anti-tuberculosis drugs in prepubertal age reduces the quality and functional competence of spermatozoa and oocytes in Swiss albino mice

Abstract Prepubertal male and female Swiss albino mice of both sex were administered with first-line anti-tuberculosis drugs (ATDs) viz; Rifampicin, Isoniazid, Pyrazinamide, Streptomycin and Ethambutol intraperitoneally, for 4 weeks. Two weeks after the completion of treatment, male mice were sacrificed to collect caudal spermatozoa and female mice were superovulated with pregnant mare serum gonadotrophin (PMSG) and human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) to collect metaphase II (MII) oocytes from oviduct. Administration of ATDs not only decreased the count, motility and, nuclear maturity andbut also, increased the head abnormalities, mitochondrial damage and DNA damage in epididymal spermatozoa. Reduction in number of ovulated oocytes, iIncreased degeneration rate and altered distribution pattern of cytoplasmic organelles was observed in oocytes of female mice. Presence of ATDs in in- vitro maturation (IVM) medium increased abnormalities in meioticresulted in abnormal spindle organization (except ethambutol) without affecting nuclear maturation. In conclusion, the rResult of this study indicates that ATD's had varied degree of toxicity, all the ATDs have considerable adverse effect on the functional competence of male and female gametes, however, with varied degree of toxicity functional potential.