Abstract

The male antifertility activities under equal toxic dosages 1/10-1/60 LD50 and hemolysin antibody formation parameters under effective threshold dosages respectively of 7 diterpene lactone epoxide compounds extracted from Tripterygium wilfordii (TW) were assayed in mice. The results indicated that among the 7 compounds, 6 (T10, T4, T7, T8, T9 and L2) showed antifertility activities, the effective thresholds of T7, T8, T10 and L2 were below 1/40 LD50, those of T4 and T9 were below 1/60 LD50, while the other one (T11) did not. The above results reconfirm that the antifertility and immunosuppressive activities of all 6 active compounds are inseparable, but the formation of hemolysin antibodies was not inhibited under the total dosages which resulted in antifertility. The lowest dosages which were positive in terms of antifertility activity were 5-28 times lower than those for antiinflammatory activity and 5-12 times lower than those for immunosuppressive activity. And the total dosages necessary for effective immunosuppression were 0.9-1.8 times than the total dosages needed for effective antifertility. Finally, the value for the use of antifertility activity of these compounds, the influence of antifertility on antiinflammatory and immunosuppressive therapy, and the use of mouse models for screening of male antifertility activity are discussed.