title: Effect of caffeine and of pentoxifylline on the motility and metabolism of human spermatozoa.
abstract: Human spermatozoa were washed and incubated with 6 mM-caffeine or 0.15-1.2 mM-pentoxifylline. Sperm motility was measured by time-lapse photography, the rate of glycolysis by the release of tritiated water from 1 mM-[3-3H]D-glucose and the rate of mitochondrial respiration by the release of 14CO2 from 1 mM-[U-14C]-L-lactate or 1 mM-[2-14C]pyruvate. Caffeine stimulated the majority of spermatozoa to convert from the 'rolling' to the 'yawing' mode of progression with a concomitant increase in lateral head displacement from 4.1 +/- 0.09 microns (343) to 6.7 +/- 0.25 microns (105) (mean +/- s.e.m. (number of spermatozoa)). There was a 45% decline in the percentage of progressively motile spermatozoa and a very small decrease in their velocity. Pentoxifylline had only a slight effect on lateral head displacement or percentage motility but produced a significant increase in velocity. Both compounds increased the rate of glycolysis by greater than 40% but elevated the rate of 14CO2 production to a smaller extent. The concentrations of ATP and ADP changed very little. We conclude that the glycolytic pathway in human spermatozoa can respond efficiently to changes in energy demand.
authors.affiliation: University Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Bristol Maternity Hospital, UK.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Rees
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Ford
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Hull
mesh_terms: D000244:Adenosine Diphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D002110:Caffeine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010431:Pentoxifylline / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000187:drug effects*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical
chemical_list: D002110:Caffeine; D000244:Adenosine Diphosphate; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D010431:Pentoxifylline