The ability of spermatozoa recovered from the successive segments of the hamster epididymis to bind to the zona pellucida was studied and a major increase was found as spermatozoa passed from the proximal to the distal portions of the corpus epididymidis (1.95 compared with 20 spermatozoa bound/egg). Tubules from the proximal epididymis were cultured in conditions which preserved the motility of the contained spermatozoa for 48-72 h. Addition of 2 μM-5α-DHT to the culture medium for 17 h stimulated the incorporation of 3H-labelled amino acids into several protein bands whose mobility in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was coincident with those of glycoproteins EP1-EP6, previously identified as androgen-dependent in the hamster epididymis in vivo. Examination of the material extracted from washed spermatozoa with 0.5 M-NaCl revealed the presence of radioactive proteins on spermatozoa. The zona-binding ability of spermatozoa from androgen-treated cultured proximal corpus tubules was significantly increased (P < 0.001) as was the no. of spermatozoa/egg (5.51) compared with the value for control cultures (0.87 spermatozoa/egg). We suggest that androgen-dependent epididymal secretory proteins that associate with spermatozoa might participate in the formation or activation of a site for zona pellucida recognition in the sperm surface.
Documento: | Artículo |
Título: | Addition of androgens to cultured hamster epididymis increases zona recognition by immature spermatozoa |
Autor: | Cuasnicu, P.S.; Echeverria, F.G.; Piazza, A.; Blaquier, J.A. |
Filiación: | Instituto de Biologia y Medicina Experimental, Obligado 2490, 1428 Buenos Aires, Argentina |
Palabras clave: | amino acid h 3; androgen; androstanolone; cyproterone acetate; unclassified drug; article; drug efficacy; epididymis; in vitro study; male genital system; nonhuman; spermatozoon; zona pellucida; Cricetinae |
Año: | 1984 |
Volumen: | 70 |
Número: | 2 |
Página de inicio: | 541 |
Página de fin: | 547 |
DOI: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1530/jrf.0.0700541 |
Título revista: | Journal of Reproduction and Fertility |
Título revista abreviado: | J. REPROD. FERTIL. |
ISSN: | 00224251 |
CODEN: | JRPFA |
CAS: | androstanolone, 521-18-6; cyproterone acetate, 427-51-0 |
Registro: | https://bibliotecadigital.exactas.uba.ar/collection/paper/document/paper_00224251_v70_n2_p541_Cuasnicu |