Human sperm quality and lipid content after migration into normal ovulatory human cervical mucus containing low numbers of leukocytes.
The aim of this study was to investigate whether a relationship exists between the presence of low numbers of leukocytes in normal ovulatory cervical mucus and sperm quality and lipid content after migration. The percentages of live, motile and morphologically normal spermatozoa, movement parameters assessed by computer-aided sperm analysis (CASA), and ionophore-induced acrosome reaction measured by flow cytometry were determined before and after migration. High-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection was used to measure the sperm lipid content, including the various diacyl subspecies. The number of leukocytes found in solubilized mucus samples was counted using a haemocytometric method. Overall, the presence of leukocytes in the cervical mucus samples did not significantly influence sperm motility and morphology, sperm kinematic parameters, or the sperm content in sphingomyelin or cholesterol. In contrast, after migration, the decrease in various sperm diacyls and the level of induced acrosome reaction was significantly less pronounced in mucus samples containing>or=10(4) leukocytes than in mucus samples with no or rare leukocytes whereas the level of induced acrosome reaction was higher. The present data suggest that the low level of leukocytes found in normal ovulatory cervical mucus could influence the process of sperm lipid remodelling/capacitation.
Chakroun-Feki
Nozha
N
Laboratory of Reproductive Biology/CECOS (Center of Study and Conservation of human Eggs and Sperm), Cochin Hospital, René Descartes University, Paris 75014, France. nozhafeki@yahoo.fr
Therond
Patrice
P
Couturier
Martine
M
Eustache
Florence
F
Limea
Gerard
G
Legrand
Alain
A
Jouannet
Pierre
P
Auger
Jacques
J
D020101:Acrosome Reaction / Q000502:physiology; D002582:Cervix Mucus / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D008055:Lipids; D008297:Male; D010060:Ovulation; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000502:physiology*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D014019:Tissue Donors
D008055:Lipids