Progesterone at the picomolar range is a chemoattractant for mammalian spermatozoa.
By means of a videomicroscopy system and a computer image analysis, we performed chemotaxis assays to detect true chemotaxis in human spermatozoa, in parallel to immunohistochemistry detection of progesterone inside the cumulus cells. Progesterone indeed chemotactically guides mammalian spermatozoa at very low hormone concentrations, and the cumulus oophorus could be a potential place for sperm chemotaxis mediated by progesterone in vivo.
Teves
María Eugenia
ME
Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Sciences, National University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.
Barbano
Flavia
F
Guidobaldi
Héctor Alejandro
HA
Sanchez
Raúl
R
Miska
Werner
W
Giojalas
Laura Cecilia
LC
D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002630:Chemotactic Factors / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002633:Chemotaxis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011374:Progesterone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
D002630:Chemotactic Factors; D011374:Progesterone