Effects of long‐term paroxetine or bupropion treatment on puberty onset, reproductive and feeding parameters in adolescent male rats

Effects of pharmaceutical and personal care products on pubertal development: Evidence from human and animal studies

Pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) include a wide range of drugs, personal care products and household chemicals that are produced and used in significant quantities. The safety of PPCPs has become a growing concern in recent decades due to their ubiquitous presence in the environment and potential risks to human health. PPCPs have been detected in various human biological samples, including those from children and adolescents, at concentrations ranging from several ng/L to several thousand μg/L. Epidemiological studies have shown associations between exposure to PPCPs and changes in the timing of puberty in children and adolescents. Animal studies have shown that exposure to PPCPs results in advanced or delayed pubertal onset. Mechanisms by which PPCPs regulate pubertal development include alteration of the hypothalamic kisspeptin and GnRH networks, disruption of steroid hormones, and modulation of metabolic function and epigenetics. Gaps in knowledge and further research needs include the assessment of environmental exposure to pharmaceuticals in children and adolescents, low-dose and long-term effects of exposure to PPCPs, and the modes of action of PPCPs on pubertal development. In summary, this comprehensive review examines the potential effects of exposure to PPCPs on pubertal development based on evidence from human and animal studies.

Effects of clinical medications on male fertility and prospects for stem cell therapy

An increasing number of men require long-term drug therapy for various diseases. However, the effects of long-term drug therapy on male fertility are often not well evaluated in clinical practice. Meanwhile, the development of stem cell therapy and exosomes treatment methods may provide a new sight on treating male infertility. This article reviews the influence and mechanism of small molecule medications on male fertility, as well as progress of stem cell and exosomes therapy for male infertility with the purpose on providing suggestions (recommendations) for evaluating the effect of drugs on male fertility (both positive and negative effect on male fertility) in clinical application and providing strategies for diagnosis and treatment of male infertility.

Paroxetine treatment in an animal model of depression improves sperm quality

Depression in mammals is known to be associated with poor reproductive capacity. In males, it has been associated with decreased efficiency of spermatogenesis as well as the production of spermatozoa of reduced structural and functional integrity. Although antidepressants are effective in correcting depressive states, there is controversy regarding their effectiveness in restoring male reproductive function. Here, using an animal model of depression induced by a forced swim test, we confirmed that depression is accompanied by impaired male reproductive function. We further show that administration of a conventional antidepressant of the serotonin reuptake inhibitor class (paroxetine) impairs male reproductive performance in terms of sperm production and quality when administered to healthy animals. Intriguingly, when paroxetine is administered to "depressed" animals, it resulted in a complete restoration of the animal's ability to produce sperm that appears to be as capable of meeting the parameters evaluated here as those of control animals. The one-carbon cycle (1CC) is one of the most important metabolic cycles that include the methionine and folate cycles and plays a major role in DNA synthesis, amino acids, and also the production of antioxidants. Our results show that depression affects the main components of this cycle and paroxetine on healthy mice increases homocysteine levels, decreases glycine and vitamin B12, while in depressed mice, it increases folate levels and decreases vitamin B12. Thus, paroxetine exerts negative impacts on male reproductive function when administered to healthy animals and it well correlate with the altered sperm parameters and functions of depressed animals, and its mechanism remains to be explored.

The effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors on male and female fertility: a brief literature review

Objective: The aim of this review was to determine whether selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) affect the ability to conceive in men and women of reproductive age, as well as to find out whether there are certain differencies between them in terms of effects on fertility. Methods: Our review was based on systematic search of literature in four online databases: Medline (PubMed), Scopus, Web of Science and SCIndex (Serbian Citation Index). Results: Several clinical studies reported that SSRIs can decrease the number and viability of sperm, and cause a disruption of their morphological structure. Regarding the effect of these antidepressants on female fertility, some experimental findings suggest that paroxetine and escitalopram may have a negative effect on the ability to conceive due to their stimulatory effect on fallopian tube motility. However, several observational studies favor the use of SSRIs in women with depression/anxiety undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) given their efficiency in suppressing these unpleasant symptoms without a relevant negative impact on IVF outcomes. Conclusions: SSRIs should be avoided male patients of reproductive age who wish to conceive, while the use of these antidepressants seems to be justified in women with depression or anxiety who have undergone IVF.Key pointsSSRIs could cause dose and duration-dependent reversible adverse effects on male fertility parameters.In depressed or anxious male patients of reproductive age who wish to conceive mirtazapine or bupropion should be used because of their lower potential to cause sexual side effects.The results of certain experimental studies indicate that paroxetine and escitalopram may have a negative effect on the fertility of female patients.The use of SSRIs in women with depression or anxiety who have undergone IVF seems to be justified, because these psychiatric disorders reduce the likelihood of becoming pregnant.

Effects of prenatal chlorocholine chloride exposure on pubertal development and reproduction of male offspring in rats

Chlorocholine chloride (CCC) promote plant growth as a regulator. Emerging evidence by our group showed that CCC might restrain the puberty onset and impair the reproductive functions in male rats through HPT axis. In this study, we further investigated the effects of prenatal CCC exposure on pubertal development, reproduction of male offspring in rats and explored the underlying mechanisms. The results showed that CCC of 137.5 and 200 mg/kg bw/day delayed the age of preputial separation (PPS), decreased the sperm motility of male offspring. PP1γ2 which is an essential protein in spermatogenesis reduced in 137.5 and 200 mg/kg bw/day groups. Crucial hormones involved in hypothalamic-puititary-testicular (HPT) axis decreased at postnatal day (PND) 30. It was indicated that CCC exposure in pregnancy might disturb the pubertal development, reproductive functions of male offspring through HPT axis and disturb the sperm motility through PP1γ2.

Antidepressants' effects on testosterone and estrogens: What do we know?

Various antidepressants are commonly used to treat depression and anxiety disorders, and sex differences have been identified in their efficacy and side effects. Steroids, such as estrogens and testosterone, both in the periphery and locally in the brain, are regarded as important modulators of these sex differences. This review presents published data from preclinical and clinical studies that measure testosterone and estrogen level changes during and/or after acute or chronic administration of different antidepressants. The majority of studies show an interaction between sex hormones and antidepressants on sexual function and behavior, or in depressive symptom alleviation. However, most of the studies omit to investigate antidepressants' effects on circulating levels of gonadal hormones. From data reviewed herein, it is evident that most antidepressants can influence testosterone and estrogen levels. Still, the evidence is conflicting with some studies showing an increase, others decrease or no effect. Most studies are conducted in male animals or humans, underscoring the importance of considering sex as an important variable in such investigations, especially as depression and anxiety disorders are more common in women than men. Therefore, research is needed to elucidate the extent to which antidepressants can influence both peripheral and brain levels of testosterone and estrogens, in males and females, and whether this impacts the effectiveness or side effects of antidepressants.

The adverse effects of psychotropic drugs as an endocrine disrupting chemicals on the hypothalamic-pituitary regulation in male

Adverse effects of drugs on male reproductive system can be categorized as pre-testicular, testicular, and post-testicular. Pre-testicular adverse effects disrupt the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis, generally by interfering with endocrine function. It is known that the HPG axis has roles in the maintenance of spermatogenesis and sexual function. The hypothalamus secretes gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) which enters the hypophyseal portal system to stimulate the anterior pituitary. The anterior pituitary secretes gonadotropins, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) which are vital for spermatogenesis, into the blood. The FSH stimulates the Sertoli cells for the production of regulatory molecules and nutrients needed for the maintenance of spermatogenesis, while the LH stimulates the Leydig cells to produce and secrete testosterone. Many neurotransmitters influence the hypothalamic-pituitary regulation, consequently the HPG axis, and can consequently affect spermatogenesis and sexual function. Psychotropic drugs including antipsychotics, antidepressants, and mood stabilizers that all commonly modulate dopamine, serotonin, and GABA, can affect male spermatogenesis and sexual function by impairment of the hypothalamic-pituitary regulation, act like endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Otherwise, studies have shown the relationship between decreased sperm quality and psychotropic drugs treatment. Therefore, it is important to investigate the adverse reproductive effects of psychotropic drugs which are frequently used during reproductive ages in males and to determine the role of the hypothalamic-pituitary regulation axis on possible pathologies.

Chronic exposure to paroxetine or bupropion modulates the pubertal maturation and the reproductive system in female rats

Antidepressant drugs are globally used to treat several psychiatric disorders in pediatric patients and their prescription has continued to increase in recent years, especially among girls. In addition to its well-known metabolic and gastrointestinal side effects, antidepressants can cause sexual dysfunction in adults. However, the effects of the antidepressants on puberty onset and reproductive system remain unclear in children and adolescents. Therefore, the goal of this study is to examine the effects of chronic postnatal antidepressant drugs, paroxetine or bupropion, treatments on puberty onset and reproductive system components in female rats weaned at postnatal day (PND) 21. Female rats (n = 10 for each group) were exposed to vehicle (0.2 mL of saline), paroxetine (3.6 mg/kg in 0.2 mL of saline) or bupropion (17 mg/kg in 0.2 mL of saline) daily by oral gavage from the PND 21 to PND 90-93. Chronic paroxetine or bupropion treatments advanced the puberty onset, but the difference was statistically significant in only the paroxetine group. The exposure to bupropion significantly decreased the serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels. There were increases in serum estradiol levels by both antidepressant treatments and the significance was found in only the paroxetine group. Consistent with these results, histopathologic changes were observed in the ovary and uterus tissues taken from both antidepressant-treated rats. The obtained results of chronic postnatal exposure to paroxetine or bupropion may change the timing of puberty onset and lead to disruption of reproductive functions in females.