Molecular Human Reproduction, Vol 4, 243-250, Copyright © 1998 by Oxford University Press
MA Nikolaeva, EL Golubeva, VI Kulakov and GT Sukhikh
Acrosome status in human spermatozoa from 20 normozoospermic men was
evaluated by flow cytometry following the induction of the acrosome
reaction with the ionophore A23187. Dual fluorescence staining of methanol
fixed spermatozoa incubated with and without (control) the ionophore A23187
was performed with probes which targeted the outer acrosomal membrane (OAM)
(rhodamine-labelled Arachis hypogaea agglutinin) or constituents of the
acrosomal vesicle (fluorescein- labelled Pisum sativum agglutinin). Flow
cytometry analysis revealed two major subpopulations of cells:
acrosome-intact and acrosome-reacted spermatozoa after induction of the
acrosome reaction. The intensity of green and red fluorescence in
acrosome-reacted spermatozoa was significantly lower than that of the
acrosome-intact control spermatozoa (P < 0.0001). The intensity of green
fluorescence in the acrosome-intact subpopulation of spermatozoa was
significantly higher than that of the control population (P < 0.002).
Exposure of spermatozoa to the ionophore A23187 resulted in reliable
enhancement of the number of spermatozoa with very high intensity of green
and/or red fluorescence compared with the control (P < 0.03). An inverse
correlation between the number of acrosome-reacted spermatozoa and
spermatozoa with a very high intensity of green and/or red fluorescence was
demonstrated (r = -0.631, P < 0.01). This method provides an objective
and efficient procedure for quantitative estimation of the acrosomal status
of human spermatozoa.
JOURNAL ARTICLE
Evaluation of stimulus-induced acrosome reaction by two-colour flow cytometric analysis
Russian Scientific Center for Gynecology, Obstetrics and Perinatology, Moscow.
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