Decreases of progressive motility, total motility, and acrosin activity of sperm from oligoasthenoteratospermia males at different time points after sperm activation / 中华男科学杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the progressive motility, (PR), total motility (progressive + non-progressive motility, PR + NP), and acrosin activity of sperm from normal and infertile men at different time points after sperm activation.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Based on the 5th edition of the WHO Laboratory Manual for the Examination and Processing of Human Semen and the results of modified Papanicolaou staining, we divided the semen samples into groups A (normal, n = 28), B (oligoasthenoteratospermia, n = 30), and C (asthenoteratospermia, n = 32). At 1, 24, and 48 hours after sperm activation, we detected sperm PR and PR + NP by CASA and chemical colorimetry, and determined sperm acrosin activity using the modified Kennedy method.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Sperm PR and PR + NP were significantly decreased in all the three groups at 1-24 hours and even more significantly at 24-48 hours after sperm activation as compared with the baseline (P < 0.05). Sperm acrosin activity showed remarkable reduction in group A (P = 0. 013) , even more significant at 1-24 hours than at 24-48 hours after sperm activation, but not in groups B and C (P = 0.519 and 0.979).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Sperm PR, PR + NP, and acrosin activity are all decreased with the extension of time after sperm activation, each in a specific manner. Examination of sperm acrosin activity should be applied as a routine tool in the assessment of male fertility.</p>