Effect of sperm-agglutinating antibodies on sperm capacitation and acrosome reaction.
OBJECTIVE
To study the effect of polyclonal/monospecific antisera on sperm agglutination versus capacitation as well as acrosome reaction.


METHODS
Swim-up spermatozoa from cauda epididymides of fertile male hamsters were incubated under liquid paraffin with polyclonal/monospecific antisera obtained from immunized BALB/C mice, as well as with normal serum from control BALB/C mice, at various dilutions.


RESULTS
The anti-sperm antibodies caused a significant (P < .05) sperm agglutination of various types of dilutions below 1:1000. Both capacitation and true acrosome reaction were inhibited significantly in the spermatozoa incubated with polyclonal/monospecific antisera. Capacitation in the spermatozoa with normal serum started earlier, i.e., at 2 hours of incubation compared to 3 hours of incubation in controls.


CONCLUSIONS
The data differentiate the sperm agglutinating activity from anticapacitation and antiacrosome reaction activity of antisperm antisera at 1:1000 dilution.
Bathla
H
H
Punjab Agricultural University, Department of Zoology, Ludhiana, India.
Sidhu
K S
KS
D000177:Acrosome / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D006224:Cricetinae; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D013073:Sperm Agglutination / Q000276:immunology*; D013075:Sperm Capacitation / Q000276:immunology*; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000276:immunology*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000276:immunology*; D013997:Time Factors
D007106:Immune Sera