Contraceptives from toxins for men

The ouabain poison is used by African aborigines when hunting to harm the heart but has the effect of inhibiting male fertility.

Science has found a series of contraceptives for women, but for men, they can only use condoms or vasectomy. To change this situation, the research team from the American Chemical Society (ACS) embarked on a preparation of ouabain , a plant extract that was used by African aboriginals to illuminate the arrow.

Ouabain was originally used by African aboriginals to poison the arrow.(Photo: DM).

In the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, the authors say long ago, ouabain has been expected to become an effective contraceptive for men thanks to its ability to interrupt the movement of sodium, potassium and alpha4 ions, proteins. Only in sperm is important for fertility. However, at high doses, ouabain is more likely to cause heart damage.

In order to overcome the effects of ouabain, for 10 years, scientists have studied structural changes so that the compound only focuses on the alpha4 protein , not the heart muscle. Tests on mice showed that ouabain new versions prevent sperm from reaching the egg for fertilization without causing any side effects. In particular, after stopping the use of ouabain, the reproductive ability of the mouse returned to the same.

"The above result is a big step in the development of birth control pills for men," the authors stated. Expected ouabain will be tested on humans within the next five years.