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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 69/4/1408    most recent biolreprod.103.017855v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Thérien, I. Articles by Manjunath, P. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Thérien, I. Articles by Manjunath, P. Agricola Articles by Thérien, I. Articles by Manjunath, P.

Effect of Progesterone on Bovine Sperm Capacitation and Acrosome Reaction¹

Department of Medicine, University of Montreal and Guy-Bernier Research Center, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H1T 2M4

Progesterone (P) appears to stimulate sperm capacitation and/or induce the acrosome reaction (AR) in some species. In bovine, it is now well established that the BSP-A1/-A2 proteins (the major proteins of bovine seminal plasma) promote sperm capacitation. In this study, we investigated the effect of P on bovine sperm cholesterol efflux, capacitation, and the AR. Labeled bovine epididymal sperm were incubated (0–6 h) with different concentrations of P (0.01–10 µg/ml) in the presence or absence of BSP-A1/-A2 proteins (capacitating conditions). At different time intervals, aliquots of sperm were taken to determine the sperm cholesterol efflux, sperm capacitation (AR induced by lysophosphatidylcholine, lyso-PC), and sperm AR. The results show that the presence of P in the media did not affect the membrane cholesterol efflux potential of the BSP-A1/-A2 proteins. P alone did not stimulate the AR with or without lyso-PC unless the epididymal sperm were incubated in capacitating conditions (in the presence of BSP-A1/-A2). When washed ejaculated sperm were continuously incubated with P, the P did not stimulate AR. However, when ejaculated sperm were preincubated (6 h) with heparin (capacitation medium) and then incubated 15 min with P (2 µg/ml), the percentage of AR obtained was similar to that obtained with lyso-PC. The effect of P on sperm AR was concentration dependent with a maximum 2.2-fold increase at 2 µg/ml of P. These results demonstrate a potential role of P in bovine sperm AR but not in capacitation.

¹ This work was supported by a grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

² Correspondence: P. Manjunath, Centre de Recherche Guy-Bernier, Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont, 5415 boul. de l'Assomption, Montréal, PQ, Canada, H1T 2M4. FAX: 514 252 3430; puttaswamy.manjunath{at}umontreal.ca

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