title: Sulfated glycoconjugates are powerful modulators of bovine sperm adhesion and release from the oviductal epithelium in vitro.
abstract: The mechanisms of sperm adhesion and release within the mammalian oviduct are still poorly understood. In this in vitro study, a previously developed adhesion assay was used to analyze the effects of heparin, N-desulfated heparin, fucoidan, dextran sulfate, and dextran on bovine sperm-oviductal cell adhesion and release. Results showed that 1) all sulfated glycoconjugates were powerful inhibitors of sperm binding to oviductal monolayers in a dose-dependent manner, whereas N-desulfated heparin and dextran had no effect; 2) sperm pretreatment with heparin and fucoidan markedly inhibited adhesion; 3) treatment of oviductal monolayers with heparinase I, II, or sodium chlorate (an inhibitor of sulfation) had no effect on sperm adhesion; 4) sulfated glycoconjugates were also powerful and quick inducers of sperm release from oviductal monolayers; and 5) addition of sulfated glycoconjugates to the cocultures caused a sudden increase of bound-sperm flagellar beat frequencies, followed by a release of highly motile sperm. In conclusion, these data support the hypothesis that sulfated glycoconjugates may act as signals that induce sperm release and migration from the oviductal reservoir.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biologia Evolutiva e Comparata, Università di Napoli Federico II, Via Mezzocannone 8, 80134 Napoli, Italy. talevi@dgbm.unina.it
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Talevi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gualtieri
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016264:Dextran Sulfate / Q000494:pharmacology; D003911:Dextrans / Q000494:pharmacology; D004848:Epithelium / Q000187:drug effects; D005187:Fallopian Tubes / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D005306:Fertilization / Q000187:drug effects; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D006001:Glycoconjugates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006493:Heparin / Q000494:pharmacology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D013075:Sperm Capacitation / Q000187:drug effects; D013076:Sperm Count; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects*; D013431:Sulfates / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D003911:Dextrans; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D006001:Glycoconjugates; D011134:Polysaccharides; D013431:Sulfates; D006493:Heparin; D016264:Dextran Sulfate; C007789:fucoidan