Tm. Chu et al., LOCALIZATION OF SEMINAL PLASMA TRANSFORMING GROWTH FACTOR-BETA(1) ON HUMAN SPERMATOZOA - AN IMMUNOCYTOCHEMICAL STUDY, Fertility and sterility, 66(2), 1996, pp. 327-330
Objective: To localize immunocytochemically transforming growth factor
beta(1) (TGF-beta(1)) in human spermatozoa. Design: Incubation of spe
rmatozoa with anti-TGF-beta(1) antiserum at various pH. Setting: Human
volunteers in an academic research institute. Patients: Young healthy
fertile men. Interventions: Semen specimens were collected. Results:
At neutral pH and at physiological pH of seminal plasma, TGF-beta(1) i
mmunostaining was detected predominantly at the postacrosomal region o
f the head, at the neck, and at the middle piece of the tail. Transfor
ming growth factor-beta(1) also was found occasionally at the axial fi
lament complex of the connecting piece and the ring. The acrosomal cap
section of the head, the principal piece, or the end piece of the tai
l were immunocytochemically negative for TGF-beta(1). The TGF-beta(1)
immunostaining pattern at acidic pH was similar to that at neutral pH
and at physiological pH of seminal plasma, but a greater intensity of
immunostaining was found at acidic pH than that at neutral pH. Conclus
ion: These results suggest that an in vivo activation of seminal plasm
a latent TGF-beta(1) may take place in the acidic environment of vagin
a, which results in a greater amount of activated TGF-beta(1) and, in
turn, with an enhanced ''coating'' of TGF-beta(1) to spermatozoa.