It appears that "The Pill" for men will have to wait a while longer. A new research report published in the June 2014 issue of The FASEB Journal involving mice, shows that a previously developed male hormonal oral contraceptive method (i.e. via testosterone) is unable to stop the production and / or the release of sperm.
"Our research in mice explains why the efficacy of male hormonal contraception is not as effective as expected and it provides clues on how to improve the method," said Ilpo Huhtaniemi, M.D., Ph.D., M.D.hc, FMed.Sci., a researcher involved in the work from the Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology at the Imperial College of London in London, UK.
Scientists demonstrated in experimental mice that the male contraception approach by testosterone has an inherent problem—spermatogenesis does not stop. They found that that administering increasing doses of testosterone to infertile mutant mice did allow sexual function to return at a certain dosing threshold, which was expected. What was not expected, however, is that spermatogenesis also returned at that dose. This suggests that it is impossible to give a single dose of testosterone that allows for sexual function and the suppression of pituitary gonadotropin secretion, but also does not initiate sperm production.
"Ever since The Pill was developed, we've been aiming for an equivalent for men," said Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal. "This report suggests that we may be finally reaching the end of administering testosterone for this purpose."
Explore further: Mice research brings male contraceptive pill closer
More information: Olayiwola O. Oduwole, Natalia Vydra, Nicholas E. M. Wood, Luna Samanta, Laura Owen, Brian Keevil, Mandy Donaldson, Kikkeri Naresh, and Ilpo T. Huhtaniemi. Overlapping dose responses of spermatogenic and extragonadal testosterone actions jeopardize the principle of hormonal male contraception. FASEB J. June 2014, 28:2566-2576; DOI: 10.1096/fj.13-24921
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© Medical Xpress 2011-2014, Science X network
It appears that "The Pill" for men will have to wait a while longer. A new research report published in the June 2014 issue of The FASEB Journal involving mice, shows that a previously developed male hormonal oral contraceptive method (i.e. via testosterone) is unable to stop the production and / or the release of sperm.
"Our research in mice explains why the efficacy of male hormonal contraception is not as effective as expected and it provides clues on how to improve the method," said Ilpo Huhtaniemi, M.D., Ph.D., M.D.hc, FMed.Sci., a researcher involved in the work from the Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology at the Imperial College of London in London, UK.
Scientists demonstrated in experimental mice that the male contraception approach by testosterone has an inherent problem—spermatogenesis does not stop. They found that that administering increasing doses of testosterone to infertile mutant mice did allow sexual function to return at a certain dosing threshold, which was expected. What was not expected, however, is that spermatogenesis also returned at that dose. This suggests that it is impossible to give a single dose of testosterone that allows for sexual function and the suppression of pituitary gonadotropin secretion, but also does not initiate sperm production.
"Ever since The Pill was developed, we've been aiming for an equivalent for men," said Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal. "This report suggests that we may be finally reaching the end of administering testosterone for this purpose."
Explore further: Mice research brings male contraceptive pill closer
More information: Olayiwola O. Oduwole, Natalia Vydra, Nicholas E. M. Wood, Luna Samanta, Laura Owen, Brian Keevil, Mandy Donaldson, Kikkeri Naresh, and Ilpo T. Huhtaniemi. Overlapping dose responses of spermatogenic and extragonadal testosterone actions jeopardize the principle of hormonal male contraception. FASEB J. June 2014, 28:2566-2576; DOI: 10.1096/fj.13-24921
Medical Xpress on facebook
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Dec 03, 2013
A contraceptive pill for men has moved one step closer after Australian researchers successfully made male mice infertile, according to a study published Tuesday.
Male health linked to testosterone exposure in womb, study finds
Apr 22, 2014
Men's susceptibility to serious health conditions may be influenced by low exposure to testosterone in the womb, new research suggests.
More specialists question safety of testosterone therapy for older men
Feb 17, 2014
(HealthDay)—Following the recent announcement from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration about the potential hazards of using testosterone supplements in older men, another group of experts is raising concerns ...
New hormonal gel combination shows promise as reversible birth control for men
Jun 25, 2012
Male hormonal contraceptives applied daily to the skin reduce sperm production, finds a new study to be presented at The Endocrine Society's 94th Annual Meeting in Houston.
Guys, take note: Male birth control pill may be ready soon
Sep 05, 2012
Attention men: The day may be coming soon when you can take your own birth control pill with no side effects, according to a study done by a group of scientists that includes a Texas A&M University researcher.
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2 hours ago
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20 hours ago
The combined action of two enzymes, Srs2 and Exo1, prevents and repairs common genetic mutations in growing yeast cells, according to a new study led by scientists at NYU Langone Medical Center.
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