CONCENTRATIONS OF INTRACELLULAR SEX STEROIDS IN HUMAN SPERMATOZOA

In an attempt to determine whether human spermatozoa contain steroid h ormones, the immunoreactive levels of progesterone, testosterone, and estradiol-17beta were measured in the extracts of sonicated specimens of sperm obtained as ejaculates from husbands of infertile couples (n = 67, age 26-44 years). In the range of sperm concentration between 3. 0 and 869.6 million per ejaculate (143.2 +/- 13.6 mean +/- SEM), the c oncentrations were as follows: progesterone 127.3 -6685.4 fmol/ml (143 4.5 +/- 178.6), testosterone 98.3 - 2219.1 fmol/ml (611.6 +/- 49.0), a nd estradiol-17beta 33.0 - 678.1 fmol/ml (206.9 +/- 19.7). Using Pears on's correlation coefficient, the steroid hormone levels correlated si gnificantly with the total sperm number (p < .02). The spermatozoa con tained small but measurable amounts of the sex steroids.