title: Carnitine-binding related supressed oxygen uptake by spermatozoa.
abstract: L-carnitine (25 mM) reduced oxygen uptake immediately by 40% in ejaculated bovine spermatozoa, but not in ejaculated human spermatozoa or in spermatozoa from bovine and rat epididymis. [3H]-L-carnitine was bound five times as much to ejaculated bovine spermatozoa as to bovine spermatozoa from the cauda epididymis and to human ejaculated spermatozoa. This indicates the presence of a factor in the accessory male sex organs which, through changes in the membrane and/or intracellulary, increases the [3H]-L-carnitine binding sites and makes the spermatozoa susceptible to carnitine inhibition.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D002331:Carnitine / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002417:Cattle; D004542:Ejaculation; D004822:Epididymis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002331:Carnitine