Separation of human semen on Percoll gradients: effect on percentage of motile and morphologically normal sperm and proportion of acrosome reacted sperm.
OBJECTIVE
To examine whether sperm motility and morphology correlate with ability to undergo the acrosome reaction in vitro.


METHODS
Sixty-one seminal specimens were separated on a discontinuous Percoll gradient (70%, 40%). Percentages of motile and morphologically normal sperm, their motility grade, and percentages of acrosome-reacted sperm before and following acrosome reaction inducing treatment were estimated.


RESULTS
Percentage of motile sperm from normozoospermic specimens increased from whole semen (47.6 +/- 5.6) to sediments (59.6 +/- 13.0). Motility grade exhibited a similar trend (2.1 +/- 0.5 and 3.6 +/- 0.5-scale of 1-4). Percentage of morphologically normal sperm increased from semen (27.3 +/- 10.9) to sediment (53.8 +/- 14.8). All differences were statistically significant, (P < 0.00). In abnormal semen the motility grade and percentage of morphologically normal sperm also increased from semen to sediment (1.9 +/- 0.4 to 3.2 +/- 0.8 and 17.7 +/- 7.8 to 37.1 +/- 15.4 respectively, (P < 0.001). Percentages of motile sperm were similar. In normozoospermic sediments, both non-treated or treated to induce the acrosome reaction, proportions of acrosome-reacted sperm were significantly higher than in semen (18.3 +/- 6.9% and 20.0 +/- 6.5% vs. 6.8 +/- 4.2% respectively, P < 0.001). A similar trend was obtained using abnormal aliquots; however, the acrosome-reacted sperm accounted for only 9.0 +/- 5.1% and 10.8 +/- 4.3% versus 5.4 +/- 2.8% (P < 0.025).


CONCLUSIONS
Morphology and motility of sperm were correlated with the proportion of acrosome-reacted sperm.
Singer
R
R
Male Fertility Laboratory Fertility Unit, Beilinson and Hasharon Medical Centers Petah Tikva, Israel.
Fish
B
B
Levinsky
H
H
Zukerman
Z
Z
Sagiv
M
M
Cohen
A
A
Barnet
M
M
Lurie
B B
BB
Lahav
M
M
D000177:Acrosome / Q000502:physiology*; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000379:methods*; D002499:Centrifugation, Density Gradient; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012661:Semen / Q000166:cytology*; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000166:cytology*