The effect of high doses of 6-chloro-6-deoxyglucose on the rat.

Male rats given 6-chloro-6-deoxyglucose (240 mg/kg/day for 28 days) developed spermatocoeles in their ductuli efferentes or caput epididymides. They had a lower serum triglyceride content than controls (0.87 +/- 0.19 vs 1.84 +/- 0.19 mM, Mean +/- SEM; n = 6) and gained less weight (2.55 +/- 0.37 vs 4.1 +/- 0.96 g/day, Mean +/- SEM; n = 6). There was no effect on female rats which received the same treatment. Spermatocoeles could also be produced by a single dose of 6-chloro-6-deoxyglucose, the threshold dose was between 180 and 240 mg/kg. Glucose oxidation by liver, brain, kidney and diaphragm from rats given 6-chloro-6-deoxyglucose (240 mg/kg/day for 14 days) was the same as in controls but was decreased in seminiferous tubules (0.32 +/- 0.06 vs 0.74 +/- 0.02 mumol [U-14C]glucose oxidised to 14CO2/g fresh wt/h, Mean +/- SEM; n = 3). The activity of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase [E.C. 1.2.1.12] in liver, brain, testis or muscle from rats given 6-chloro-6-deoxyglucose (24 mg/kg/day for 14 days) showed little change although its activity in spermatozoa was dramatically decreased.