Effect of a Selective Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drug, Celecoxib, on the Reproductive Function of Female Mice

Background

The aim of the present study was to determine if long-term use of a cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor affects fertility or ovulation in female mice.

Methods

Twenty-four female mice, 25 days of age, were given a selective COX-2 inhibitor: 3mg/kg celecoxib (n=8), 5mg/kg celecoxib (n = 8), or placebo (n=8) in a random fashion. Eight female mice, 10-11 weeks old, given 3mg/kg celecoxib (n = 4) or placebo (n =4) were subjected to continuous mating studies.

Results

Results from the 24 mice (n = 8 for each group) showed that oocyte number was not significantly different between female mice treated with either 3mg/kg or 5mg/kg celecoxib and placebo (21.4 ±2.5, 21.5±3.3, 23.3 ±3.8, respectively). From the continuous mating study, the litter size of female mice treated with celecoxib was not significantly different (8.2 ±1.3 pups/litter) compared to those treated with placebo (8.3 ±1.2 pups/litter). In addition, female mice treated with celecoxib had an average of 2.8±0.5 litters in a 12-week period, which was similar to female mice treated with placebo (3.0 ±0.8 litters/female).

Conclusion

This study suggests that use of low-dose (≤5mg/kg) selective COX-2 inhibitor in a mouse model does not significantly impair the female reproductive function.

Key Words:  cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor , female , reproductive function , selective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug

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