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Progesterone Induces Hyperpolarization after a Transient Depolarization Phase in Human Spermatozoa¹

^a GREFH-Laboratoire d'Histologie-Embryologie et Biologie de la Reproduction, Hôpital Cochin, Faculté de Médecine Cochin—Port-Royal, Université Paris V, 75014 Paris, France

Progesterone (P₄) induces a membrane depolarization and various ion fluxes (chloride efflux, sodium and calcium influxes), which are required for the human sperm acrosome reaction (AR). By use of the potentiometric fluorescent dye DiSC₃(5) and two different technical approaches, the present study aimed to quantify and further analyze P₄-induced modifications in membrane potential in capacitated human spermatozoa. Spectrofluorimetric analysis revealed that the mean resting membrane potential of sperm was -58 ± 2 mV (n = 12). When 10 µM P₄ was added, the sperm membrane depolarized by +15 mV, partly driven by a Cl^- efflux. It subsequently repolarized to reach a significant lower potential than the initial resting potential in two thirds of the tested samples. The flow cytometry analysis showed a heterogeneous resting membrane potential and revealed that the depolarization-hyperpolarization events concerned only subpopulations, between 3% and 40% of the sperm cells according to the samples (n = 7). We hypothesize that P₄ has a beneficial effect on the ability of zona pellucida to promote the AR in a sperm subpopulation by increasing the number of hyperpolarized cells presenting a membrane potential that is compatible with the opening of T-type calcium channels by subsequent zona pellucida-induced depolarization.

First decision: 29 October 2001.

¹ This work was supported by grant 1752 from the Direction de la Recherche et des Etudes Doctorales.

² Correspondence: C. Patrat, GREFH-Laboratoire d'Histologie-Embryologie et Biologie de la Reproduction, Hôpital Cochin, Faculté de Médecine Cochin-Port-Royal, Université Paris V, 24 rue du Fg St Jacques, 75014 Paris, France. FAX: 33 1 58 41 15 75; catherine.patrat{at}cch.ap-hop-paris.fr

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