[Calmodulin antagonists are involved in mouse sperm capacitation].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the possible involvement of calmodulin in mouse sperm capacitation.


METHODS
Calmodulin antagonists W7 at the concentrations of 50, 100 and 200 micromol/L and calmidazolium (CZ) at the concentrations of 10, 20 and 30 micromol/ L, were coincubated with mouse sperm for 2 hours, respectively. The percentage of pattern B sperm was measured by chlorotetracycline staining. Then the sperm were coincubated with 100 micromol/L W7 or 10 micromol/L calmidazolium (CZ) before acrosome reaction was induced by 5 micromol/L progesterone and evaluated by the same method.


RESULTS
After the treatment of the sperm with different concentrations of CZ or W7, the percentages of pattern B sperm decreased in a dose-dependent manner, significantly different from the control (P < 0.05). There was a statistic difference in the rate of acrosome reaction between the experiment and the control group (P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Calmodulin is a key protein involved in mouse sperm capacitation.
Li
Kun
K
Department of Clinical Laboratory, Wenzhou Hospital of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, China.
Xue
Ya-Mei
YM
Lu
Jie-Qiang
JQ
D000818:Animals; D002147:Calmodulin / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D013075:Sperm Capacitation / Q000187:drug effects*; D013076:Sperm Count; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000187:drug effects; D013087:Spermatids / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
D002147:Calmodulin; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D007093:Imidazoles; C031938:calmidazolium