Effect of sperm-immobilizing antibodies on the acrosome reaction of human spermatozoa.
OBJECTIVE
To study by a triple stain technique the effect of sperm-immobilizing antibodies on the acrosome reaction of human spermatozoa.


METHODS
The spermatozoa were allowed to swim up and culture in a medium containing 7.5% (vol/vol) serum with sperm-immobilizing antibodies or control serum up to 6 hours. Sperm mobility was analyzed, and the percentage of live acrosome reacted spermatozoa was determined.


METHODS
Samples were collected from patients referred to university hospital infertility clinics.


METHODS
Serum samples were drawn from seven patients with sperm-immobilizing antibodies. All the sera were heat activated and stored at -40 degrees C until use. Semen samples were taken from two healthy donors.


RESULTS
During culture for 6 hours, the percentage of live sperm showing the acrosome reaction increased significantly (P less than 0.01) in the control group but not in the sperm-immobilizing antibodies group. However, the inhibitory effect of sperm-immobilizing antibodies on the acrosome reaction was reversed when sperm was reincubated in medium with control serum (P less than 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Sperm-immobilizing antibodies block fertilization at least in part by inhibiting the acrosome reaction of human spermatozoa.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, University of Tokushima, Japan.
R
R
Bandoh
S
S
Yamano
M
M
Kamada
T
T
Daitoh
T
T
Aono
D000177:Acrosome / Q000502:physiology*; D000906:Antibodies / Q000502:physiology*; D002470:Cell Survival; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000502:physiology*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000502:physiology*; D013194:Staining and Labeling
D000906:Antibodies