EFFECT OF CYTOKINES ON SPERM MOTILITY AND IONOPHORE-STIMULATED ACROSOME REACTION

The effects of soluble products from leukocytes (WBC) on sperm motilit y and calcium ionophore-stimulated acrosome reaction (AR) were examine d. Supernatants of mononuclear WBC, isolated from peripheral blood and stimulated by the lectins Phytolacca americana (pokeweed mitogen) or concanavalin A, caused a weak but significant inhibition of progressiv e sperm motility. The recombinant cytokine interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma ) in high concentrations inhibited motility of sperm from 5 of 8 donor s tested. The recombinant cytokines tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a lpha) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) did not show any effect on sperm motili ty. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by stimulation of polymorph onuclear WBC with a phorbol ester (PMA) tended to inhibit sperm motili ty. Neither supernatants from lectin-stimulated mononuclear WBC, IFN-g amma, TNF-alpha, IL-8, nor ROS showed any significant effect on the io nophore-challenged AR.