Effect of urea and detergents on the ability of human spermatozoa to penetrate zona-free hamster oocytes.
Washing of human spermatozoa with either BWW alone or with the same buffer containing 0.1 M urea, 0.005% SDS or 0.001% NP40 affected the penetration ability of the gametes into zona-free hamster oocytes to various degrees. In contrast, human spermatozoa washed with BWW buffer containing 0.3 M urea had an increased ability to fuse with the heterologous oocytes when compared to controls capacitated with BWW/BSA. Moreover, the presence or absence of BSA in the insemination medium did not further modify this enhanced penetration pattern. The BWW, BWW/0.1 M urea and BWW/SDS treatments apparently mimicked some of the in vitro capacitation properties of albumin-containing media; the BWW/0.3 M urea treatment overpowered the capacitation and acrosomal reaction extent obtained with BWW+BSA. In all samples the motility of the spermatozoa washed with BWW buffer alone or containing various additives (but no albumin) was significantly decreased if compared to the motility of semen samples washed with albumin containing media. However, each sperm sample behaved differently when exposed to a given buffer.
Gynaecological Endocrinology Unit, La Carita Hospital, Locarno, Switzerland.
M
M
Rosselli
A
A
Roatti
M
M
Marchini
A
A
Campana
M
M
Balerna
D000818:Animals; D006224:Cricetinae; D003902:Detergents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D017830:Octoxynol; D009865:Oocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D010063:Ovum / Q000502:physiology*; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012967:Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000187:drug effects; D013084:Sperm-Ovum Interactions / Q000187:drug effects*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014508:Urea / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015044:Zona Pellucida / Q000502:physiology*
D003902:Detergents; D013501:Surface-Active Agents; D012967:Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D014508:Urea; D017830:Octoxynol; C010615:Nonidet P-40