Human protamines and male infertility.
OBJECTIVE
Our purpose was to determine the ratio of protamine 1 to protamine 2 in human spermatozoa and relate it to in vitro fertilization rates (IVF) and standard semen parameters.


METHODS
Couples who had been clinically diagnosed as having male-factor infertility and had undergone IVF treatment were grouped according to IVF rates and pregnancy outcome. Protamines were extracted and separated on acid urea polyacrylamide gels. The P1/P2 ratio correlation with semen parameters and IVF rates was investigated using nonparametric analysis.


RESULTS
The P1/P2 ratio ranged from 0.55 to 1.29 in the control group of patients, who had fertilization rates > or = 50% and had achieved a pregnancy in one IVF cycle. Of the test patients with IVF < 50%, three (14%) had P1/P2 ratios outside the range exhibited by the control group and their sperm possessed large heads.


CONCLUSIONS
P1/P2 ratios were statistically negatively correlated with IVF rates in the control group and with progressive motile sperm concentration in the test group. We do not think that altered P1/P2 ratios are the primary cause of reduced fertilization.
Khara
K K
KK
Molecular Medical Research Group, University of Warwick, Biological Sciences, Coventry, UK.
Vlad
M
M
Griffiths
M
M
Kennedy
C R
CR
D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011479:Protamines / Q000032:analysis*; D012661:Semen; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology
C082073:PRM1 protein, human; D011479:Protamines; C068621:protamine 2