Sd. Perreault et Am. Cancel, Significance of incorporating measures of sperm production and function into rat toxicology studies, REPRODUCT, 121(2), 2001, pp. 207-216
The rat is the preferred species for reproductive toxicity testing. The inc
lusion of measures of rat sperm quality, such as motility and morphology, i
nto reproductive test protocols often increases the sensitivity of the test
to detect effects, and provides the toxicologist and risk assessor with va
luable information about the nature of the reproductive toxicity of the tes
t substance. Technical advances in computer-aided sperm analysis have made
it possible to evaluate motion characteristics of rat spermatozoa. This tec
hnology can provide an objective means of classifying the motion of rat spe
rmatozoa as progressive or non-progressive, as required in test protocols.
More specific tests of rat sperm function are being applied for the purpose
of evaluating modes and mechanisms of toxicant action. Computer-aided sper
m analysis can be used to evaluate sperm motion during cultures that suppor
t sperm capacitation and to identify hyperactivated spermatozoa. Under the
same culture conditions, acrosome-specific stains can be used to identify e
ffects of toxicants on the acrosome reaction. These approaches, in combinat
ion with in vitro fertilization in rats, can pinpoint sperm functional defi
cits and thereby assist the toxicologist in addressing hypotheses regarding
the cellular-molecular bases of toxicant-induced male infertility.