Effect of Exogenous Progesterone on Post-thaw Capacitation and Acrosome Reaction of Bovine Spermatozoa

• Published in: Reproduction in domestic animals Vol. 39; no. 3; pp. 154 - 161
• Main Authors: Lukoseviciute, K, Zilinskas, H, Januskauskas, A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin, Germany Blackwell Verlag GmbH 01.06.2004; Blackwell Science
• Subjects: Acrosome Reaction - drug effects; Acrosome Reaction - physiology; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Cattle - physiology; Cryopreservation - veterinary; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Flow Cytometry - veterinary; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Male; Mammalian male genital system; Morphology. Physiology; Progesterone - administration & dosage; Progesterone - pharmacology; Semen Preservation - veterinary; Sperm Capacitation - drug effects; Sperm Capacitation - physiology; Spermatozoa - drug effects; Spermatozoa - physiology; Vertebrates: reproduction; Exogenous; Spermatozoa; Bovine; Acrosome reaction; Germinal cell; Fecundation; Ovarian hormone; Reproduction; Vertebrata; Spermatozoid capacitation; Mammalia; Artiodactyla; Progesterone; Sex steroid hormone; Acrosome; Ungulata
• ISSN: 0936-6768; 1439-0531
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0531.2004.00494.x

Contents The aim of this work was to study the effect of progesterone (P4) on capacitation and acrosome reaction (AR) of post‐thaw bovine spermatozoa in vitro. Spermatozoa were incubated (0–180 min) in capacitation medium supplemented with 0, 0.1, 1.0 and 10.0 μg/ml of P4. At different time intervals aliquots were taken to determine sperm plasma membrane lipid destabilization, or capacitation (AR induced by lysophosphatidylcholine) in spermatozoa. The second experiment aimed to study the effects of P4, as potential inducer of AR in heparin‐capacitated spermatozoa. The acrosomal status and viability of spermatozoa were evaluated under an epifluorescence microscope using Ethidium homodimer/peanut agglutinin fluorescein isothiocyanate staining method. Plasma membrane scrambling in spermatozoa was assessed by a flow cytometer, using merocyanine staining. The results show that P4 at the concentrations used had no negative effects on sperm viability. Progesterone significantly enhanced sperm capacitation (p < 0.001), but had no effect on plasma membrane lipid stability (p > 0.05) and did not significantly increase the AR of heparin‐capacitated spermatozoa (p > 0.05). Progesterone displayed its effects in a dose‐dependent manner with a maximum effect of 10 μg/ml P4 at 180 min of incubation. The results demonstrate that in cryopreserved bovine semen, P4 acts as capacitating, but not as an AR‐inducing agent.