Effects of 6-mercaptopurine treatment on sperm production and reproductive performance: a study in male mice.

TLDR: It is difficult to extrapolate from these results to the clinical use of 6-MP/azathioprine in IBD patients; however, further basic genetic testing for DNA damage and clinical follow-up are warranted.

Abstract: Objective Azathioprine and 6-mercaptopurine interact in purine metabolism and DNA synthesis, thus their potential mutagenic effects have been of concern in the management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), especially in patients of childbearing age. Although several clinical studies have indicated their safety in both reproduction and pregnancy, in a recent large epidemiological study concerns were raised about their adverse effects in pregnant patients with IBD, and experimental or basic data on this subject are limited. The aim of this study was to investigate sperm production, sperm quality, and reproductive outcome following prolonged 6-MP administration to male mice. Material and methods Highly inbred Balb/c adult male mice were used. 6-MP at doses of 2, 5, and 8 mg/kg (n=9 for each group) was given daily for 51 days and the treatment group was compared with controls. After 45 days of treatment, the mice were mated with females. Following 13 days of pregnancy, the products of conception were evalua...