title: Significance of adenosinetriphosphate in human sperm as clinical parameter.
abstract: Washed human spermatozoa from 21 individuals with an average motility of 60% (quality index 277 +/- 16) had an endogenous ATP generation of 7.5 +/- 3.4 nmole/10(8) spermatozoa. The ATP concentrations in spermatozoa from 16 patients with severely impaired motility of 26% (quality index 98 +/- 13) was 16.9 +/- 9.9 nmole/10(8) spermatozoa. There was no correlation between ATP content and motility in either group. Sperm penetration into blood serum type AB, Rh-positive, was evaluated using a capillary tube penetration test. The penetration was graded with a maximum score of 14. Spermatozoa with an initial motility of 60% reached a score of 10 +/- 0.7. After addition of 20 mmole of ATP the score was significantly improved to 13 +/- 0.3. Compared with these results spermatozoa with an average motility of 26% reached a score of 4 +/- 1. Exogenous ATP (20 mmole) increased the score to 8 +/- 1.0. In both groups reduced glutathione had a negative effect. Human spermatozoa with high and low motility are capable to synthesize ATP. A dysfunction of the phosphorylating particles in the mitochondria appears not to be associated with low sperm motility.
mesh_terms: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System; D000244:Adenosine Diphosphate / Q000032:analysis; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000032:analysis*; D005978:Glutathione / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D019803:Glutathione Disulfide; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012204:Rh-Hr Blood-Group System; D013076:Sperm Count; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000032:analysis* / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System; D012204:Rh-Hr Blood-Group System; D000244:Adenosine Diphosphate; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D005978:Glutathione; D019803:Glutathione Disulfide