title: Sialic acid content of human spermatozoa in relation to age and quality of sperm.
abstract: Sialic acid (SA) has been estimated in human spermatozoa separated according to age by the use of a discontinuous gradient of human serum albumin (HSA), and according to quality (viability and motility) by the use of a discontinuous gradient of bovine serum albumin (BSA). The amount of SA in the "mature" sperm was 3.5 +/- 0.7 (SD) micrograms/mg protein, whereas in the immature sperm subpopulation, enriched with morphologically abnormal sperm, it was 6.9 +/- 3.4 micrograms/mg protein (P = .05). SA estimated in spermatozoa separated according to quality had values of 3.6 +/- 1.2 micrograms/mg protein in sperm of higher quality and 4.1 +/- 1.3 micrograms/mg protein in that of lower quality; this difference was not of statistical significance. It is suggested that changes in SA levels might reflect differences in the degree of sialylation of protein in the subpopulation of sperm, and thus be related to various stages in the fertilization process.
mesh_terms: D002469:Cell Separation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012709:Serum Albumin; D012794:Sialic Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D013046:Specific Gravity; D013079:Sperm Maturation; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000032:analysis / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D012709:Serum Albumin; D012794:Sialic Acids