Evaluation of immunocontraceptive property of spermatozoa in house rat (Rattus rattus)

Immunization of house rats with three antigenic preparations having 1, 5 and 10 million spermatozoa, resulted in maximum production of antisperm-antibodies (ASA) after 3^rd intradermal injection. The highest value of %ASA was found to be 26.11 ±0.52 after immunization with 5 million spermatozoa at 28 days post immunization (DPI) as compared to other two sperm antigens. While EUSA identified maximally the production of ASA at 21 DPI in the serum of house rats immunized with 5 million sperms. Study of various sperm parameters revealed a significant reduction in sperm concentration (million/ml) from 161.84±18.79 (control) to 1l.69±4.09, per cent sperm motility from 88.33±7.26(control) to 22.33±11.57 and increase in percent sperm abnormalities from 1.55±0.45 (control) to 68.15±4.19 after immunization with antigen having 5 million spermatozoa., indicated that this antigenic preparation can be used as immunocontraceptive agent for the management of house rat in future.