PROVOCATION TESTING OF HUMAN SPERM MOTILITY USING ENERGY SUBSTRATES AND ACTIVATORS OF THE CYCLIC-NUCLEOTIDE SYSTEM .1. ESTABLISHMENT OF CONDITIONS FOR RESPONSE TESTING

In order to establish a series of provocation tests to evaluate the in tegrity of the sperm cAMP pathway, manganese (Mn), 2-deoxyadenosine (D EA) (via adenylyl cyclase), and methyl-isobutyl-xanthine (MIX) (via ph osphodiesterase) were tested for their capacity to activate the progre ssive motility of human sperm. Optimal responses were obtained using w ashed sperm previously incubated for 3 hours in substrate-poor medium (Hepes-buffered saline). Longer periods of incubation required the pre sence in addition of an energy substrate such as glucose. Exposure of sperm to seminal plasma for 24 hours prior to washing attenuated the r esponsiveness of the sperm to the different activators. Preliminary st udies on the activation of the progressive motility of washed sperm fr om four normozoospermic men under fertility investigation, prepared un der identical conditions, revealed differences in the pattern of respo nse which may have pathophysiological relevance.