SEPARATION OF HUMAN SEMEN ON PERCOLL GRADIENTS - EFFECT ON PERCENTAGEOF MOTILE AND MORPHOLOGICALLY NORMAL SPERM AND PROPORTION OF ACROSOME-REACTED SPERM

Objectives - To examine whether sperm motility and morphology correlat e with ability to undergo the acrosome reaction in vitro. Methods - Si xty-one seminal specimens were separated on a discontinuous Percoll gr adient (70%, 40%). Percentages of motile and morphologically normal sp erm, their motility grade, and percentages of acrosome-reacted sperm b efore and following acrosome reaction inducing treatment were estimate d. Results - Percentage of motile sperm from normozoospermic specimens increased from whole semen (47.6 +/- 5.6) to sediments (59.6 +/- 13.0 ). Motility grade exhibited a similar trend (2.1 +/- 0.5 and 3.6 +/- 0 .5 scale of 1-4}. Percentage of morphologically normal sperm increased from semen (27.3 +/- 10.9) to sediment (53.8 +/- 14.8). Ah difference s were statistically significant, (P < 0.00). In abnormal semen the mo tility grade and percentage of morphologically normal sperm also incre ased from semen to sediment (1.9 +/- 0.4 to 3.2 +/- 0.8 and 17.7 +/- 7 .8 to 37.1 +/- 15.4 respectively, (P < 0.001). Percentages of motile s perm were similar. In normozoospermic sediments, both non-treated or t reated to induce the acrosome reaction, proportions of acrosome-reacte d sperm were significantly higher than in semen (18.3 +/- 6.9% and 20. 0 +/- 6.5% vs. 6.8 +/- 4.2% respectively, P < 0.001). A similar trend was obtained using abnormal aliquots; however, the acrosome-reacted sp erm accounted for only 9.0 +/- 5.1% and 10.8 +/- 4.3% versus 5.4 +/- 2 .8% (P < 0.025). Conclusions - Morphology and motility of sperm were c orrelated with the proportion of acrosome-reacted sperm.