ABSTRACT
Although it has been known that seminal plasma (SP) modulates immune responses, the morphologic and functional effects of SP on mast cells have not been well documented. The purpose of this study was to determine the morphologic and functional effects of SP from the azoospermic (ASP), oligozoospermic (OSP) and normozoospermic (NSP) men on rat peritoneal mast cells (RPMC). By inverted microscopy, degranulation of RPMC occurred by treatment of OSP, NSP or compound 48/80. Treatment of RPMC with OSP and NSP resulted in increase in size and decrease in surface folds and bulged granules from the cell surface indicating that degranulating processes took place. Irregular cell surface with few microvilli and large degranulation channels filled with altered granules of various sizes were observed in OSP or NSP-treated RMPC. The degranulation index (DI) of RPMC treated with HBSS was 8.8+/-5.0. SP-induced DI was 11.9+/-6.2, 57.1+/-16.9 and 61.9+/-15.8, in ASP, OSP and NSP, respectively. The DI of RPMC treated with compound 48/80 (1 microgram/ml) was 83.5+/-21.4. These results indicated that the OSP, NSP but not ASP, induced the degranulation of RPMC. OSP and NSP induced histamine release (HR) from RPMC (4.5x105 cells). The HR of RPMC treated with HBSS was 1,030+/-196.6ng/ml, whereas ASP, OSP and NSP-induced HR was 1,010+/-204.7, 2,794+/-453.3 and 2,899 +/-366.7 ng/ml, respectively. The HR of RPMC treated with compound 48/80 was 6,300+/-476.2 ng/ml. Intracellular calcium level(ICL) of RPMC was also increased by OSP and NSP. The ICL of RPMC treated with HBSS was 6.1+/-1.0 pmole. ASP, OSP and NSP-induced ICL was 9.0+/-1.1, 81.2+/-18.5 and 76.6+/-18.0 pmole, respectively. The ICL of RPMC treated with compound 48/80 was 102.9+/-22.2 pmole. From the above results, it is suggested that OSP and NSP contain some factors to degranulate RPMC by the increase of intracellular calcium level.