title: Immunization with Bin1b decreases sperm motility with compromised fertility in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the contraceptive ability of a synthetic Bin1b peptide in vivo in the rat.
  
  
  METHODS
  Basic research.
  
  
  METHODS
  University laboratory animal service center.
  
  
  METHODS
  A peptide-based immunization model was developed; rats were injected with the Bin1b specific peptide.
  
  
  METHODS
  A synthetic peptide segment, MCRSGERKGDICSDP-conjugated with KLH (Bin1b), was used to immunize male wistar rats. Freund's complete adjuvant was used as a control.
  
  
  METHODS
  Anti-Bin1b levels in sera were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Anti-Bin1b and control antisera were used to evaluate sperm function inhibition in vitro. The fertility of immunized rats was determined by mating experiment. The testis and epididymides were analyzed by histology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Histological studies showed no evidence of orchitis or epididymitis in Bin1b-immunized animals. ELISA results revealed that the titers of anti-Bin1b antibodies in serum increased with the immunization process in immunized rats. Sperm recovered from the corpus epididymidis of the Bin1b-immunized animals exhibited a significant decrease in motility. Immunization of Bin1b also caused a reduction (25%) in fertility after the mating experiment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study has demonstrated that immunization with Bin1b peptide specifically interferes with sperm motility, resulting in a compromised fertilizing capacity of sperm.
authors.affiliation: Epithelial Cell Biology Research Center, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, Department of Physiology, Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of Ministry of Education, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Wenming
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Xiaohu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Wenying
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Kin Lam
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Fok
authors.forename: Dewi Kenneth
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Rowlands
authors.forename: Yiu-Loon
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Chui
authors.forename: Hsiao Chang
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Chan
mesh_terms: D020101:Acrosome Reaction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D003269:Contraception, Immunologic / Q000379:methods*; D003272:Contraceptive Agents, Male / Q000276:immunology* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004822:Epididymis / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D023083:beta-Defensins / Q000276:immunology* / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D003272:Contraceptive Agents, Male; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C487040:Spag11a protein, rat; D023083:beta-Defensins