棕熊精子体外获能及异种穿卵的超微结构研究

对棕熊精子体外获能前后和异种穿卵的超微结构观察表明,棕熊精子全长77μm,由头、颈和尾3部分组成.头部长7.3μm,宽2.5μm,主要由核、顶体及顶体后区组成;颈部由中心粒和9条纵行分节的节往组成;尾部全长68.2μm,其中中段长13.2μm,线粒体为65～68旋,主段中央为“9 2”的微管结构,其外方被9条致密纤维和纤维鞘包裹.精子获能前群集成簇,运动缓慢;获能后精子呈超激活运动.获能的精子质膜膨胀,顶体外膜囊泡化,引起顶体反应,质膜并未参加囊泡化.顶体反应完成后,仅有顶体内膜包在精子核膜的外面.棕熊精子与仓鼠的卵相互作用,多以赤道段和顶体后区附着于卵膜.     

第三讲母猪生殖生理

第三节受精、妊娠与分娩一、受精(一)配子的运行1.射精部位在交配过程中,公猪将精液直接射到母猪子宫或子宫颈中。母猪的子宫颈没有阴道部,使得精液能顺利射入子宫内。2.精子获能精子在受精前必须在雌性生殖道内经历一段时间,并发生一系列生理性、机能性变化,才具有与卵母细胞受精的能力,这种现象称精子获能。公猪精子获能需要3～6小时。3.受精部位在输卵管上1/3的壶腹部受精。4.顶体反应精子获能之后,在穿越透明带前后,精子顶体开始膨大,精子质膜和顶体外膜开始融合,使精子顶体形成许多泡状结构,通过空泡间隙释放出透明质酸酶、放射冠穿透…     

猪体外受精中钙调控机理研究

本研究探讨了猪精子体外获能、卵母细胞成熟和受精过程中钙调控机制,并用X射线微分析仪,测定了钙的含量变化和分布状态.结果发现,猪精子获能后,质膜表面钙含量降低,而顶体内部钙升高,并诱发顶体反应,发生囊泡化;中段线粒体基质内的钙较获能前高;A类卵母细胞经体外成熟培养后,其质膜上钙含量升高,而B、C类卵母细胞钙变化却降低.卵子受精后,质膜上钙含量明显升高,分布状态也发生相应变化,受精后20h,质膜上的钙呈集团分布.     

葡萄糖在牛体外受精及胚胎发育中的影响

在牛精子获能液中添加不同浓度的葡萄糖,应用体外培养技术对牛精子体外获能及早期胚胎发育进行研究,通过观察顶体反应、超激活、活率和早期胚胎发育率,筛选出获能液中最适葡萄糖浓度及其有利于牛早期胚胎发育的最佳浓度.结果表明:葡萄糖是精子获能和维持超激活运动的主要能源物质,其代谢过程中产生的活性氧在牛精子体外获能、受精过程中起重要作用,高浓度(超过9.15 mM)葡萄糖有利于获能的完成;但是对早期胚胎发育不利,对早期胚胎发育来说其最适添加量为6.10 mM,此时的囊胚率最高.     

孕酮对牛精子体外受精及胚胎发育的影响

通过在牛精子获能液中添加不同浓度的孕酮,应用体外培养技术对牛精子体外获能及早期胚胎发育进行了研究。通过对顶体反应、超激活、早期胚胎发育率及其与精子孵育时间对精子活率的观察,筛选出获能液中最适孕酮浓度及其有利于牛早期胚胎发育的最佳浓度。结果表明,单独添加孕酮不能诱导牛精子体外获能;孕酮只能诱导获能精子发生顶体反应,而且有一个剂量依赖关系,以1μg/mL的添加效果最好。当浓度超过1μg/mL、作用时间超过4h时,精子活率下降;获能液中添加孕酮,无论剂量多少,对胚胎体外发育无明显的促进作用。     

水貂银狐精子体外获能前后表面元素变化的研究

哺乳动物精子的体外获能是体外受精中的一个关键问题,而元素成分又在精子获能中发挥着极其重要的作用。Yanagimachi(1982)提出仓鼠精子的体外获能与钙元素有关;Mrsny等(1987)发现钾、镁元素是仓鼠精子获能和顶体反应所必需的;Hyne(1984)又证实钠也是豚鼠精子体外获能或顶体反应最重要的元素。然而,在野生动物水貂和银狐精子获能前后元素成分的变化,至今国内外尚     

肝素或钙离子载体诱导牛、羊冻精体外获能的研究

本文采用肝素或钙离子载体(I-A)诱导牛、羊冻精体外获能,根据对去透明带仓鼠卵的穿透情况评定获能效果,并用台盼蓝·姬姆萨(TG)染色观察了精子的死活及顶体状态.结果发现,牛、羊冻精经肝素或I-A处理后与卵子一起培养,2 h穿透仓鼠卵,4 h开始形成雄原核,6 h形成发育良好的雄原核.牛冻精用50μg/mL肝素及0.1μmol/L I-A处理效果最好,穿透率分别为72.8％和92.3％;羊则以20μg/mL肝素及0.3μmol/L I-A为宜,穿透率分别为73.1％和68.O％.咖啡因与I-A或肝素并用均有协同作用,能提高精子的穿透能力,并能促进卵内原核的发育.肝素和I-A均能在体外诱导牛、羊冻精的顶体反应,有顶体反应活精子百分率与穿透率呈强正相关,羊冻精比较脆弱,获能处理后活力较低.     

用精子异种穿卵方法检测牛冷冻精液精子的质量

牛冷冻精液要在液氮-79℃-196℃下保存,从理论上讲,冷冻可以使精子胞质不形成冰晶而处于玻璃化状态,停止了代谢活动,但是长期在-196℃下保存及在制作过程中,再加上输精前的解冻操作等,都能损伤精子的头部质膜和顶体外膜.经电镜研究解冻后发现精子头部,一部分解冻精子质膜膨胀破裂,甚至顶体外膜也发生部分泡状化,而将顶体内的酶类释放出去形成伪顶体反应.这种精子在显微镜下检查时非常活跃,但根本不可能与体内的成熟卵进行融合受精.     

肝素钙离子载体咖啡因在家畜精子体外获能中的作用

前言自 Brackett 等(1981)通过体外受精(InVitro Capacition,IVF)技术获得首例试管牛以来,已相继通过 IVF 得到了绵羊(花田章1985)、山羊(福田丰,1986)、猪(Cheng等,1986)的试管后代,我国也先后在牛、绵羊、猪取得成功。精子在与卵子受精之前必须发生获能和顶体反应,精子的体外获能和顶体反应是家畜体外受精过程的重要一环。自 Chang 和 Austin(1951)发现精子的获能现象以来,许多学者     

孕酮和雌二醇对绵羊精子体外获能的影响

试验探讨孕酮和雌二醇对绵羊精子体外获能和顶体反应的影响。将绵羊精子分别加到含不同浓度孕酮(1、10和100μmol/L)和雌二醇(1、10、和100μmol/L)的输卵管合成液(SOF)中,作用不同时间后分别取出部分精子样本进行金霉素荧光染色(chlortetracycline,CTC),通过精子与CTC结合染色的不同类型来评定孕酮和雌二醇对绵羊精子的作用。结果表明:雌二醇对绵羊精子体外获能和顶体反应都没有显著的促进作用(P>0.05);一定浓度的孕酮和雌激素组合抑制绵羊精子体外获能和顶体反应的发生(P<0.05)。     

Membrane Alterations in Bull Spermatozoa after Freezing and Thawing and after In Vitro Fertilization

Membrane alterations in bull spermatozoa after freezing and thawing and after the process of in vitro capacitation and fertilization were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Even if the majority of the spermatozoa exhibited intact membranes after freezing and thawing (90%), one could distinguish between 3 types of membrane defects depending of the different structures involved. The first type showed loss of plasmalemma over the entire acrosome. In the second category the anterior part of the outer acrosomal membrane exhibited a pronounced extension, but was covered by a partly intact plasmalemma. The last category consisted of spermatozoa with extensive vesiculation and disruption of plasmalemma and the outer acrosomal membrane. This type of defect could not easily be distinguished from a true acrosome reaction. The cumulus cells showed an active phagocytosis of both intact and acrosome reacted spermatozoa.     

Modulation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase activity through sequential posttranslational modifications of p22 phagocytic oxidase during capacitation and acrosome reaction in goat spermatozoa

Superoxide anion radical, produced in low quantities, plays a positive role in sperm function. Spermatozoa produce superoxide anion radical during posttesticular development, which shows an abrupt increase during capacitation. The NAD phosphate oxidase (NOX) family members NOX2 and NOX5 are the 2 enzymes implicated in superoxide production in spermatozoa. We examined the organization of NOX2 in goat spermatozoa during epididymal maturation, capacitation, and acrosome reaction. Spermatozoa from testis, caput epididymidis, corpus epididymidis, and cauda epididymidis possessed components of the phagocytic oxidase (PHOX; i.e., gp91phox, p22phox, p67phox, p47phox, p40phox), and ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1/2 (Rac1/2) on spermatozoa, and their concentrations did not show significant alterations during epididymal maturation. During capacitation in vitro, p22phox underwent Thr-phosphorylation, which resulted in a mobility shift of the corresponding band toward greater molecular mass. The Rac1/2 also showed a mobility shift from 32 to 23 kDa during capacitation. During progesterone-induced acrosome reaction, the spermatozoa experienced a total loss of p22phox and p47phox. The p47phox, but not p22phox, was detected in the exocytic vesicles of the acrosome. The Thr-phosphorylated form of p22phox was ubiquitinated and degraded through proteasome-mediated pathways in goat sperm cell lysates. Thus, Thr phosphorylation of p22phox acts as a regulatory switch in goat spermatozoa that transiently activates the NOX2 system during capacitation and subsequently directs it for degradation through the ubiiquitin-proteasomal pathway during progesterone-induced acrosome reaction.     

Hyaluronic Acid as Capacitation Inductor: Metabolic Changes and Membrane‐Associated Adenylate Cyclase Regulation

The aim of this research was to study the effect of hyaluronic acid on bovine cryopreserved spermatozoa compared with heparin as regards the variation of capacitation induction, cellular oxidative metabolism and intracellular signal induced by membrane‐associated adenylate cyclase to propose hyaluronic acid as a capacitation inductor. Heparin or hyaluronic acid and lysophosphatidylcholine were used to induce sperm capacitation and acrosome reaction, respectively. 2′,5′‐dideoxyadenosine was used as a membrane‐associated adenylate cyclase inhibitor. The highest percentages of capacitated spermatozoa and live spermatozoa with acrosome integrity were obtained by incubating sperm for 60 min using 1000 μg/ml hyaluronic acid. In these conditions, capacitation induced by hyaluronic acid was lower compared with heparin; nonetheless both glycosaminoglycans promote intracellular changes that allow true acrosome reaction in vitro induced by lysophosphatidylcholine in bovine spermatozoa. Oxygen consumption in heparin‐capacitated spermatozoa was significantly higher than in hyaluronic acid‐treated spermatozoa. With all treatments, mitochondrial coupling was observed when a specific uncoupler of the respiratory chain was added. The inhibition of membrane‐associated adenylate cyclase significantly blocked capacitation induction produced by hyaluronic acid, maintaining a basal sperm oxygen uptake in contrast to heparin effect in which both sperm parameters were inhibited, suggesting that the membrane‐associated adenylate cyclase activation is involved in the intracellular signal mechanisms induced by both capacitation inductors, but only regulates mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation in heparin‐capacitated spermatozoa.     

Agglutination and acrosome reaction of ram spermatozoa incubated in the bovine folicular fluid]

Fresh-ejaculated sperm of ram was incubated at a temperature of 38 degrees C in the bovine follicular fluid and homologous blood serum (blood plasma). The spermatozoa were studied in native state under a microscope with phase contrast and as ultra-thin sections under a transmission electron microscope. In the follicular fluid and in the blood serum, strong agglutination of spermatozoa occurred, with its maximum after about two hours. Only the heads of spermatozoa agglutinated, the flagella being loose were arranged parallelly. Although the progressive motility of spermatozoa was not observed, the motility of flagella was not affected. The investigation under the electron microscope showed that the agglutination occurred only in acrosomes of intact spermatozoa. It was also found out that the follicular fluid induced the acrosome reaction of spermatozoa. The course of the acrosome reaction is similar to that in the other mammals: first of all plasma membrane becomes undulated, then it fuses with the outer acrosome membrane, giving origin to vesicles within the entire acrosome, except the equatorial segment. The acrosome reaction was found in about 5% spermatozoa, and therefore it may be assumed that secretions of the oviduct and uterus play their role to induce the acrosome reaction.     

Acrosin Activity Regulation by Protein Kinase C and Tyrosine Kinase in Bovine Sperm Acrosome Exocytosis Induced by Lysophosphatidylcholine

Acrosin is an important proteolytic enzyme that is capable of hydrolysing the zona pellucida in bovine oocyte. Lysophosphatydic acid (LPA) derivated from lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) is known to trigger the acrosome exocytosis. The present study was aimed at examining the acrosin activity variations in LPC‐induced acrosome exocytosis and its regulation by tyrosine kinase, protein kinase C (PKC) and voltage‐dependent calcium channels (VDCC) in spermatozoa previously capacitated with heparin or quercetin. The enzyme activities were spectrophotometrically measured using N‐α‐benzoyl‐DL‐arginine p‐nitroanilide as an acrosin‐specific substrate. The capacitation and acrosomal reaction were evaluated by chlorotetracycline assay, and the viability and acrosome integrity were evaluated by the trypan blue stain/differential interference contrast. It was observed that LPC induced acrosome exocytosis and increased the activity of acrosin in spermatozoa previously capacitated with heparin. In heparin/LPC‐treated samples, it was observed that the inhibition of tyrosine kinase and PKC blocked the acrosome exocytosis and the acrosin activity (p < 0.05). Under these conditions, in heparin‐capacitated spermatozoa, the LPC provokes an acrosin activity increase that is independent of calcium influx through VDCC Type L. In cryopreserved bovine spermatozoa, LPC might require modulation, mainly tyrosine kinase participation with respect to PKC activity to induce acrosome exocytosis and increase acrosin activity.     

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

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 microg/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 microg/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.     

Participation of phosphofructokinase,malate dehydrogenase and isocitrate dehydrogenase in capacitation and acrosome reaction of boar spermatozoa

The aim of this work was to determine the enzymatic activity of phosphofructokinase (PFK), malate dehydrogenase (MDH) and isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) in boar spermatozoa and study their participation in bicarbonate‐induced capacitation and follicular fluid‐induced acrosome reaction. Enzymatic activity of these enzymes was determined spectrophotometrically in extracts of boar spermatozoa. Sperm suspensions were incubated in the presence of bicarbonate (40 mM), a well‐known capacitation inducer, or follicular fluid (30%), as an acrosome reaction inducer, and different concentrations of oxoglutarate, oxalomalate and hydroxymalonate, inhibitors of PFK, IDH and MDH, respectively. Capacitation percentages were determined by the fluorescence technique of chlortetracycline (CTC), and true acrosome reaction was determined by trypan blue and differential–interferential contrast, optical microscopy. The activity of PFK in boar spermatozoa enzymatic extracts was 1.70 ± 0.19 U/10¹⁰ spermatozoa, the activity of NAD‐ and NADP‐dependent IDH was 0.111 ± 0.005 U/10¹⁰ and 2.22 ± 0.14 U/10¹⁰ spermatozoa, respectively, and the activity of MDH was 4.24 ± 0.38 U/10¹⁰ spermatozoa. The addition of the specific inhibitors of these enzymes prevented sperm capacitation and decreased sperm motility during capacitation and inhibited the acrosome reaction (AR), without affecting the sperm motility during this process. Our results demonstrate the participation of PFK, IDH and MDH in bicarbonate‐induced capacitation and follicular fluid‐induced acrosome reaction in boar spermatozoa, contributing to elucidate the mechanisms that produce energy necessary for these processes in porcine spermatozoa.     

Pentoxifylline induces capacitation and acrosome reaction and improves quality of motility in canine ejaculated spermatozoa

To evaluate effects of different concentrations of pentoxifylline, as phosphodiesterase inhibitor, on quality of motility, capacitation and acrosome reaction, Ejaculated spermatozoa were collected from crossbred dogs. The sperm were incubated at concentrations of 0.1, 1, 10 and 100 mM pentoxifylline for 2 h. Conventional assessment was also made on the percentage of motility and quality of motility of spermatozoa; values were expressed as sperm motility index (SMI). Capacitation and acrosome reaction were also evaluated by chlortetracycline fluorescence staining. SMI as quality index of sperm was significantly increased in concentrations of 10 and 100 mM pentoxifylline during 1 and 2 h compared to control. The number of capacitated or acrosome reacted spermatozoa significantly (P < 0.05) were higher than controls at high concentrations of pentoxifylline (10 and 100 mM) during 1 and 2 h. In conclusion, high concentration of pentoxifylline is able to induce capacitation and acrosome reaction and improves quality of motility in canine ejaculated spermatozoa.     

The Effect of Oestradiol, Progesterone and Heparin on Bovine Spermatozoa Function After Thawing

The present experiment was designed to determine the effects of various biologically active substances, such as oestradiol (OE), progesterone (P4) and heparin (Hep) alone or in combination on sperm plasma membrane scrambling, capacitation and acrosome reaction (AR) of post-thaw bovine spermatozoa. Spermatozoa were incubated for 180 min in capacitation medium supplemented with (i) 1 mug/ml OE; (ii) 1 mug/ml P4; (iii) 1 mug/ml OE and 1 mug/ml P4; (iv) 1 mug/ml OE and 5 mug/ml Hep; (v) 1 mug/ml P4 and 5 mug/ml Hep; (vi) 1 mug/ml OE, 1 mug/ml P4 and 5 mug/ml Hep. At predetermined time intervals aliquots were taken to assess sperm plasma membrane scrambling, or capacitation (AR induced by lysophosphatidylcholine) in spermatozoa. The second experiment was aimed to study the effects of OE, P4 and OE/P4 as potential inducers of AR in Hep-capacitated spermatozoa. Plasma membrane scrambling was assessed by a flow cytometer, using Merocyanine staining. Acrosomal status and viability of spermatozoa were evaluated under epifluorescence microscope with Ethidium homodimer-1/peanut agglutinin fluorescein isothiocyanate staining method (EthD-1/PNA-FITC). The results show that OE, P4 and a combination of OE/P4 at concentrations used did not affect sperm viability. Heparin significantly (p < 0.001) increased sperm plasma membrane scrambling of OE and P4-treated spermatozoa. P4 significantly affected the rate of sperm capacitation (p < 0.001) and AR (p < 0.05), but OE expressed membrane-stabilizing properties (p < 0.05). It can be concluded that in frozen-thawed bovine spermatozoa OE presents plasma membrane stabilizing properties that can be abolished by Hep, but not by P4. Progesterone possesses capacitating and AR-inducing properties in frozen-thawed bovine spermatozoa that can be alleviated by OE.