title: Effects of plasmin on sperm-oocyte interactions during in vitro fertilization in the pig.
abstract: The present study was undertaken to examine the effect of plasmin on sperm viability and sperm-oocyte interaction during in vitro fertilization in the pig. Porcine sperm, which were washed in Dulbecco's PBS were re-suspended and incubated in fertilization medium (mTBM; modified Tris-buffered medium) containing 0, 0.1, 1.0, 10.0 or 100.0ng/mL of plasmin. Sperm viability was not affected by plasmin treatment. Addition of plasmin in doses ranging from 0.1 to 100.0ng/mL for 2, 4 or 6h to washed boar sperm resulted in enhancement of acrosome reaction (AR) compared with untreated cells. The concentration of 0.1ng/mL plasmin (95+/-18 sperm/oocyte) had no effect on sperm binding, whereas 1.0ng/mL (123+/-21 sperm/oocyte), 10.0ng/mL (124+/-16 sperm/oocyte) and 100.0ng/mL (124+/-15 sperm/oocyte) of plasmin increased sperm binding compared with the control (83+/-15 sperm/oocyte). The zona pellucida solubility (zona dissolution time) was less in medium with 1.0ng/mL (123+/-24s), 10.0ng/mL (99+/-15s) or 100.0ng/mL (95+/-19s) plasmin compared with control (176+/-27s). When pig oocytes and sperm were co-incubated in various concentrations of plasmin for 6h, the penetration rate was greater in medium with 1.0ng/mL plasmin (77.5+/-3.1%) compared with the control. However, there were no differences in the polyspermic rates and mean number of sperm (MNS)/oocyte between the groups treated with plasmin and control. These results suggest that plasmin might play a role in events related to fertilization.
authors.affiliation: Division of Animal Resource Science, College of Animal Resource Science, Kangwon University, Chunchon 200-701, South Korea.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Sa
authors.forename: H H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Rhee
authors.forename: H T
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Cheong
authors.forename: B K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: C K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D020101:Acrosome Reaction / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D003470:Culture Media; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000662:veterinary*; D005341:Fibrinolysin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D009865:Oocytes / Q000502:physiology; D012995:Solubility; D013084:Sperm-Ovum Interactions / Q000187:drug effects*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000502:physiology; D013552:Swine; D015044:Zona Pellucida / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D005341:Fibrinolysin