CERVICAL MUCINS AFFECT THE MOTILITY OF HUMAN SPERMATOZOA IN-VITRO

Objective: To rest the hypothesis that human cervical mucins affect th e motility and hyperactivated motility of human spermatozoa. Design: S etting: University hospital. Patient(s): Wealthy donors. Intervention( s): Swim-up sperm fractions of normozoospermic semen samples were incu bated in the presence of 0 (control) to 1.3 mg/mL of mucins purified f rom cervical mucus plugs released during labor, Motility analyses were performed at time 0, and after 0.5, 1, 3, and 7 hours. Main Outcome M easure(s): Sperm kinematic variables recorded by computer-aided sperm analysis, Hyperactivation was defined as linearity <30%, amplitude of lateral head displacement >7.0 mu m, and curvilinear velocity >70 mu m /s. Result(s): A dose-related effect of cervical mucins on sperm motil ity was found. Mucins at a concentration of 1.3 mg/mL caused an immedi ate and significant increase in sperm linearity (27%) and straight-lin e velocity (16%) compared with control samples. During the first 3 hou rs of incubation, an approximately 25% increase in linearity and strai ght-line velocity was found; this increase was statistically significa nt. Effects on the hyperactivation pattern were found as incubation wi th mucins for 3 and 7 hours significantly reduced the percentage of hy peractivation from 18% to 9%. Conclusion(s): Cervical mucins increase the percentage of progressively motile sperm and decrease the percenta ge of sperm that show hyperactivation. (Fertil Steril(R) 1998;70:350-4 . (C) 1998 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine.).