[The sperm-agglutinating activity of the fractions of saline root extracts from Arum maculatum]. / Spermoaglutinirashta aktivnost na fraktsii ot korenishten vodno-solevi ekstrakt na Arum maculatum.

Our previous investigations have demonstrated that saline extract of Arum maculatum contains lectin (sperm agglutinin) which agglutinates human ejaculated spermatozoa of the type tail to tail and head to tail. By means of speed liquid chromatography (Mono S XP 5/5) eight fractions (I-VIII) were obtained. The sperm-agglutinating activity of the fractions was investigated against frog testicular spermatozoa and testicular and epididymal spermatozoa of man, rabbit, rat and mouse. The fractions did not agglutinate frog spermatozoa. Fraction I agglutinated rabbit, rat and murine spermatozoa; fraction II-rabbit and rat spermatozoa; fraction VII-only human spermatozoa, and fraction VIII-human, as well as animal spermatozoa. The fractions III, IV, V, VI had no sperm-agglutinating activity. These data could be explained by the assumption that the differences in the sperm-agglutinating activity of the fractions are due to isoforms (called also isolectins) of the phytospermagglutinin, contained in the saline extract of Arum maculatum.

[The composition and structure of isolectins from Arum maculatum]. / Prouchvane na sustava i strukturata na izolektini ot Arum maculatum.

The delipidized saline extract of Arum maculatum (AM) contains two selectively agglutinating human spermatozoa isolectinesphytospermoagglutinins (FSA1 and FSA2), which bind to various receptors of spermatozoon plasmalemma. It is established by means of disc polyacrilamide electrophoresis amino acid analysis and isoelectric focusing that FSA1 is tetrameter, but FSA2-octameter, which have similar amino-acid content and do not contain carbohydrates. The established structural differences probably cause also the capability of FSA1 and FSA2 to bind various receptors of spermatozoon plasmalemma. It is proven that FSA2 possesses antigenic properties.

[The effect of lectins on human spermatozoa in the capillary sperm penetration test]. / Prouchvane na vliianieto na lektini vurkhu choveshki spermatozoidi chrez kapiliarniia spermopenetratsionen test.

The effect of the commercial lectin (Con A, PHA, SRA, WGA and UEA) as well as of the prepared by us extract from roots of Arum maculatum (Am and AM 80 degrees C) was studied on migration of human spermatozoa in bovine estrous cervical mucus, using the capillary sperm penetration test of Kremmer. It was established that Con A, PHA and AM inhibited the migration of spermatozoa in a concentration, in which they agglutinated human spermatozoa in vitro. Nonagglutinating human spermatozoa SBA and AM 80 degrees C inhibited also the migration of spermatozoa in the mucus.

[Localization of receptors for phytospermoagglutinin from Arum maculatum on human spermatogenic cells and spermatozoa]. / Lokalizatsiia na retseptori za fitospermoaglutinin ot Arum maculatum vurkhu choveshki spermatogenni kletki i spermatozoidi.

Our precious studies showed that delipidized water-saline extract from roots of Arum maculatum (AM) contained lectin-phytospermoagglutinins (PSA), which caused agglutination, manifested by the type of a tail with a tail and a head with a tail. This extract we conjugated with fluorescein-isothiocyanate and by means of the conjugate we studied the localization of receptor molecules for PSA on the plasmalemma of human spermatogenic cells and human spermatozoa, obtained from the testis, epididymis and ejaculate. It was established that receptor molecules for PSA were distributed irregularly on the plasmalemma of spermatozoa, that the basic part of these molecules were synthesized on spermatogenic cells and that ejaculate spermatozoa adsorbed such molecules from the sperm plasma.

[Study of the biological properties of isolectin from Arum maculatum]. / Prouchvaniia vurkhu biologichni svoistva na izolektini ot Arum maculatum.

The delipidized water-saline extract of roots from Arum maculatum contains lectin-phytospermoagglutinins (PSA), which consist of two forms, isolectins--PSA1 and PSA2. The capability of these isolectins to agglutinate spermatozoa and erythrocytes and to precipitate serum of a frog, a rabbit and man was studied. It was established that PSA1 interacted with a receptor specific for human spermatozoa, but PSA2--with a receptor probably common for human and rabbit spermatozoa. But this mean that these isolectins could be used for isolation of spermatozoa antigens, which have no blood group specificity and are not found in human biological fluids.

[A method of determining dehydrogenase activity of human spermatozoa]. / Metod za opredeliane na dekhidrogenaznata aktivnost na choveshki spermatozoidi.

The authors present a quantitative method for the evaluation of biologic activity of human spermatozoa by determining their dehydrogenase activity by tetrazolium salts. The method is based on the property of these salts to change during biochemical reduction from colorless water soluble compounds into insoluble compounds in water compounds (phormazanes), which remain at the site of the reduction, e.g. in the cell. Most of the phormazanes are extracted by organic solvents (ethanol) and determined quantitatively by a spectrophotometer. We have measured dehydrogenase activity in spermatozoa by the amount of phormazane, obtained from a number of cells for a fixed time. We propose for determination of dehydrogenase activity in human spermatozoa: triphenyltetrazolium chloride, temperature of incubation at 37 degrees C, stopped by enzymic reaction by formaline, and creation of anaerobic conditions for incubation with Na2SO3.