REDUCTION OF SPERM CHOLESTEROL PHOSPHOLIPID RATIO IS A POSSIBLE MECHANISM FOR ENHANCEMENT OF HUMAN SPERM BINDING TO THE ZONA-PELLUCIDA FOLLOWING INCUBATION WITH PHOSPHATIDYLCHOLINE LIPOSOMES/
R. Gamzu et al., REDUCTION OF SPERM CHOLESTEROL PHOSPHOLIPID RATIO IS A POSSIBLE MECHANISM FOR ENHANCEMENT OF HUMAN SPERM BINDING TO THE ZONA-PELLUCIDA FOLLOWING INCUBATION WITH PHOSPHATIDYLCHOLINE LIPOSOMES/, Biology of reproduction, 57(3), 1997, pp. 539-546
TEST (TES (N-tris[hydroxymethyl]methyl-2-aminoethanesulfonic acid) and
Tris) yolk buffer (TYB) has recently been shown to improve the bindin
g capacity of spermatozoa to zona pellucidae. The present study had tw
o objectives: 1) to elucidate which component(s) of TYB dominates this
effect and 2) to define the responsible mechanism. Sperm samples obta
ined from subfertile men were incubated for 2 h in either TYB or media
containing egg yolk lipoproteins or phospholipids. After incubation,
sperm binding was tested by the hemizona assay. Yolk lipoprotein-treat
ed spermatozoa bound hemizonae with efficiency equal to that of the sp
ermatozoa incubated in control medium. Conversely, incubation of sperm
atozoa in media containing either TYB, yolk-phospholipids, or pure pho
sphatidylcholine (PC) resulted in a 2- to 3-fold increased binding cap
acity (p < 0.01). A close correlation was found between the effect of
yolk-phospholipids and TYB on the binding capacity of the same sperm s
amples, compared to spermatozoa incubated in control medium. Incubatio
n of spermatozoa in yolk phospholipid medium caused a dose-dependent i
ncrease of sperm binding capacity (p < 0.05). Treatment of sperm sampl
es with 1 mg/ml or more of purified PC preparation also resulted in a
reduction of the sperm cholesterol:phospholipid molar ratio. Significa
nt correlations between the effects of the treatments on sperm cholest
erol: phospholipid molar ratio and sperm binding were obtained with yo
lk-phospholipids (r = -0.55) or 1 mg/ml purified PC (r = -0.61). We co
nclude that 1) the enhanced binding capacity of human spermatozoa foll
owing TYB treatment is probably due to yolk-phospholipids, mainly egg
yolk PC; and 2) it appears that the enhanced binding capacity of human
spermatozoa following treatment with egg yolk-containing media may be
a result of the reduction of the cholesterol:phospholipid molar ratio
in the sperm cells.