Hyaluronic acid binding by human sperm indicates cellular maturity, viability, and unreacted acrosomal status.
OBJECTIVE
To test, both in semen and washed-sperm fractions, whether hyaluronic acid (HA) binding is restricted to sperm that have completed cellular maturation.


METHODS
Comparisons of sperm in semen and in HA-bound sperm fractions.


METHODS
University-based diagnostic and research andrology laboratory.


METHODS
Semen samples originated in men being tested for infertility.


METHODS
The attributes of sperm maturity were tested by immunocytochemistry with creatine kinase and HspA2 antisera (highlights cytoplasmic retention in diminished-maturity sperm), aniline blue chromatin staining (detects persistent histones), pisum sativum lectin staining (reveals acrosomal integrity), and the FertiLight viability kit (highlights viable and nonviable sperm).


RESULTS
All markers of sperm maturity and immaturity supported the hypothesis that HA-bound sperm are mature. Nonbinding sperm exhibited cytoplasmic and nuclear properties of diminished maturity. The acrosomal status of HA-bound sperm was either unreacted or slightly capacitated, but not acrosome reacted. Only viable sperm exhibited HA binding.


CONCLUSIONS
Sperm that are able to bind to HA are mature and have completed the spermiogenetic processes of sperm plasma membrane remodeling, cytoplasmic extrusion, and nuclear histone-protamine replacement. Hyaluronic acid-bound sperm show unreacted acrosomes. These studies provide further insights into the relationship between spermiogenesis and sperm function.
Huszar
Gabor
G
Sperm Physiology Laboratory, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06510, USA. gabor.huszar@yale.edu
Ozenci
Ciler Celik
CC
Cayli
Sevil
S
Zavaczki
Zoltan
Z
Hansch
Eleonora
E
Vigue
Lynne
L
D000177:Acrosome / Q000502:physiology*; D001665:Binding Sites; D002470:Cell Survival; D006801:Humans; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000502:physiology*
D006820:Hyaluronic Acid