Testosterone and gossypol effects on human sperm motility.
Testosterone concentration in seminal fluid has been found to be high in infertile males (75 +/- 11 pg/100 microliter). Fertile males have a testosterone concentration of 29 +/- 3 pg/100 microliter. The effects of adding 50, 150, and 300 pg of testosterone to 100 microliter of ejaculate have been studied by turbidimetric analysis (Sokoloski J, et al. Fertil Steril 28:1337, 1977). This method permits objective measurements of sperm velocity and percentage of rapidly moving sperm in a sample (%RM). A dose-dependent effect of testosterone on sperm motility was seen. Fifty pg/100 microliter had no effect on velocity or percentage of moving sperm; 150 pg of testosterone produced a decrease of 36% +/- 8; and 300 pg/100 microliter, a decrease of 62% +/- 8. Caffeine had a stimulatory effect on the percentage of motile sperm at doses of 400 microliter of semen. Likewise, dibutyryl cAMP (10 microgram/microliter) had a positive effect on sperm velocity. The stimulatory effect of these two drugs were negated when 300 pg of testosterone was added to the preparations. Other steroids (17 alpha-testosterone, 17 alpha-estradiol, and 17 beta-estradiol, DHT, and progesterone) tested under the same experimental conditions had no effect on sperm motility, but cottonseed oil (goosypol) had drastic effects. Doses a little as 100 pg/100 microliter produced a 90% decrease in sperm motility.
D003994:Bucladesine / Q000494:pharmacology; D002110:Caffeine / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006072:Gossypol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D012661:Semen / Q000378:metabolism; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000187:drug effects*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*
D002110:Caffeine; D013739:Testosterone; D003994:Bucladesine; D006072:Gossypol