Biology of Reproduction, Vol 18, 624-628, Copyright © 1978 by Society for the Study of Reproduction

Spectrophotometric Quantitation of Mammalian Spermatozoon Motility I. Human

¹ Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming 82071
² Department of Obstetrics-Gynecology, Washington University School of Medicine, 4911 Barnes Hospital Plaza, St. Louis, Missouri 63110

Human sperm motility has been spectrophotometrically quantitated by a technique based upon the optical anisotropic properties of motile sperm. A sperm motility index was determined and controlled experiments showed that the index (SMI) was positively correlated to the percent of progressively motile cells (r=0.92) and negatively correlated to the percent of heat killed cells in the sample (r=-0.92). In a single dilution of sperm cells with aliquots studied at selected time intervals for 90 min, the index correlated with a decline in the progressive motility (r=0.95). The correlation between the index and the percent progressive motility in the fresh dilution was r= 0.86. When the index was determined on the same original population of spermatozoa, but experimentally prepared with different concentrations of cells, the index was independent of final cell numbers in a range of 2.5-14.3 x 10⁶ cells/ml. Semen analyses were performed on each ejaculate and a correlation between the SMI and progressive motility (r=0.85) was observed.

Note:
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Support from the Division of Basic Research of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Wyoming is gratefully acknowledged. The authors wish to thank also the Rockefeller Foundation for its support to the Department of Obstetrics-Gynecology, Washington University. The technical assistance of Mr. Fred Jackson and Mr. Gerald Bond is gratefully appreciated.