Human spermatozoa do not undergo the acrosome reaction during storage in the cervix.
Incubation of human spermatozoa in capacitation media for 24 hours resulted in a significant increase in acrosome-reacted spermatozoa compared with preincubation (baseline) levels. By contrast, sperm samples recovered from the cervix for as long as 72 hours after coitus showed only baseline percentages of acrosome-reacted spermatozoa. These results indicate that human spermatozoa do not undergo the acrosome reaction during cervical storage even if they undergo capacitation.
Bielfeld
P
P
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Rush University Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois.
Jeyendran
R S
RS
Zaneveld
L J
LJ
D000177:Acrosome / Q000502:physiology*; D002582:Cervix Mucus / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013075:Sperm Capacitation / Q000502:physiology*; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000502:physiology; D013084:Sperm-Ovum Interactions / Q000502:physiology*