the protective effect of achillea millefolium hydro-alcoholic extract on in vitro fertilization in mature male mice treated with fluoxetine

Fluoxetine (flx), also known as prozac, is a widely marketed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, used to fight depression and anxiety. achillea millefolium (am) is a medicinal plant with potential anti-oxidant properties (1-3). the aim of this investigation was to evaluate the effects of different doses of am extract on in vitro fertilization (ivf) in fluoxetine treated mice. thirty adult male mice (26 ± 3 g) were randomly divided into 5 groups (n = 6). control groupreceived normal saline (0.2 ml/mice/day) orally for 30 day. in (flx group mice received flx at dose of 20 mg/kg daily for 30 days orally. high dose, medium dose and low dose of am plus flx groups received am respectively at doses of 150, 100 and 50 mg/kg and flx (20 mg/kg) daily for 30 days orally. the percentage of two-cell and blastocyst- stage and arrested embryos was determined on day 5 of fertilization. in this study, flx caused a significant decrease in fertilization rate and percentage of two-cell and blastocyst embryos and a significant increase in the percentage of arrested embryos. the am in high and medium doses caused an increase in ivf rate, two-cell and blastocyst embryos percentage and a reduction in percentage of the arrested embryos. taken together, am (150 and 100 mg/kg) exhibited repro-protective activities against flx-induced embryotoxicity in mice.