title: Egg-penetration ability and structural properties of human sperm prepared by Percoll-gradient centrifugation.
abstract: Human sperm with a high zona-free hamster egg-penetration ability were obtained by centrifuging freshly ejaculated sperm through a discontinuous two-step (47% and 90%) Percoll gradient at 600g at room temperature for 30 min. Highly motile sperm with good penetration ability were recovered in the pellet fraction (Per-sperm), whereas those with low penetration ability were in the gradient interface. The increased penetration ability of Per-sperm, as compared to sperm capacitated by other methods such as a single-tube swim-up or multiple-tube swim-up preparation, was not due to an increased proportion of acrosome reacted sperm. Rather, transmission electron microscopy indicated that Per-sperm were devoid of coating envelopes, which were present around both the head and tail regions of noncapacitated and single-tube swim-up sperm. Changes to the surface of Per-sperm were demonstrated by their decreased interaction with UEA I lectin, which binds specifically to fucose residues. Removal of the coating envelopes as well as other changes on the sperm surface may lead to an enhanced binding of Per-sperm to the oocyte. In addition, 99% of Per-sperm contained chromatin that was fully condensed. By contrast, about 15% of swim-up sperm still possessed incompletely condensed chromatin. With a higher penetration ability, "clean" appearance, and homogeneity of condensed chromatin, Per-sperm are recommended for insemination and studies of human sperm capacitation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tanphaichitr
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Millette
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Agulnick
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Fitzgerald
mesh_terms: D002499:Centrifugation, Density Gradient; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D013075:Sperm Capacitation; D013084:Sperm-Ovum Interactions; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000648:ultrastructure*