title: Effect of progesterone and oestradiol on sperm-zona binding and acrosome reaction in bovine spermatozoa after thawing.
abstract: This study was conducted assess spermatozoa binding capacity to the oocyte in the presence of 0.1 or 0.5 microg/ml progesterone (P4) or a combination of 0.5 microg/ml P4 with 0.1 microg/ml oestradiol (OE). The number of oocyte-bound spermatozoa in the presence of progesterone was significantly higher (p < 0.05 to p < 0.001) when compared with the control samples, that were incubated in the absence of P4. Spermatozoa binding to the zona pellucida (ZP) of the oocyte were concentration-dependent - significantly higher numbers of spermatozoa were bound in the presence of 0.5 microg/ml P4, when compared with that of 0.1 microg/ml P4. Oestradiol at 0.1 microg/ml concentration used impaired the effect of progesterone-mediated sperm-oocyte binding. The incidences of acrosome-reacted (AR) spermatozoa bound to the ZP - following 0, 60, 120 and 180 min. incubation in the presence and absence of 1 microg/ml progesterone was also assessed. Only at 180 min of incubation a higher (p < 0.001) incidence of the AR-spermatozoa was found in sperm-ZP complexes incubated in the presence or absence of progesterone, being 56.5 +/- 11.1 and 43.2 +/- 8.8 % respectively. In conclusion, progesterone enhances the sperm-ZP binding capacity. Progesterone affects the incidences of AR on zona-bound spermatozoa only after prolonged co-culture.
authors.affiliation: Animal Reproduction Laboratory, Department of Non-infectius diseases, Lithuanian Veterinary Academy, Kaunas, Lithuania.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lukoseviciute
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bizokas
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zilinskas
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Januskauskas
mesh_terms: D020101:Acrosome Reaction / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle / Q000502:physiology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D011374:Progesterone / Q000502:physiology*; D012662:Semen Preservation / Q000662:veterinary; D013075:Sperm Capacitation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D015044:Zona Pellucida / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol