ACROSIN ACTIVITY OF HUMAN SPERMATOZOA BY MEANS OF A SIMPLE GELATINOLYTIC TECHNIQUE - A METHOD USEFUL FOR IVF

Acrosin activity was determined using a gelatinolysis technique in 100 -mu l semen aliquots of 114 patients (normozoospermia, n = 90; astheno zoospermia, n = 12; oligozoospermia, n = 10; polyzoospermia, n = 2) at tending an in vitro fertilization (IVF) program. Halo diameter, halo f ormation rate, and a calculated acrosin activity index correlated sign ificantly with the IVF rates (P = 0.0054, r = 0.396; P = 0.0009, r = 0 .401; and P = 0.0003, r = 0.428, respectively). In cases where the hal o diameter was <10 mu m and halo formation rate was <60%, ail patients were subfertile or infertile, that is, they showed poor or no fertili zation in vitro, respectively. The assay demonstrated a relatively low sensitivity: 25.7% for halo diameter, 37.1.% for halo formation rate, and 25.7% for acrosin activity index, respectively. This might be att ributed to other sperm functional aspects, such as disturbed acrosome reaction or impaired zona binding.