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Hum. Reprod. Advance Access published online on July 26, 2007
Human Reproduction, doi:10.1093/humrep/dem245
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© The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Hyperactivation of capacitated human sperm correlates with the zona pellucida-induced acrosome reaction of zona pellucida-bound sperm

D.Y. Liu1,4, M.L. Liu1, G.N. Clarke2 and H.W.G. Baker1,3

1 Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Melbourne, Royal Women’s Hospital, 132 Grattan Street, Carlton 3053, Australia 2 Andrology Laboratory, Royal Women’s Hospital, 132 Grattan Street, Carlton 3053, Australia 3 Reproductive Services and Melbourne IVF, Royal Women’s Hospital, 132 Grattan Street, Carlton 3053, Australia

4 Correspondence address. Tel: +61-3-9344-2042; Fax: +61-3-9347-1761; E-mail: dyl{at}unimelb.edu.au

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between human sperm hyperactivation (HA), sperm–zona pellucida (ZP) binding and the ZP-induced acrosome reaction (AR) of ZP-bound sperm in vitro.

METHODS: Sperm samples from 129 infertile men were studied. Motile sperm (2 x 106) selected by Pure sperm were incubated with four oocytes in 1 ml human tubal fluid supplemented with 10% human serum. After 2-h incubation, the number of sperm bound to the ZP and the AR of ZP-bound sperm were examined. Velocities and HA of sperm in insemination medium were assessed by Hamilton-Thorn Sperm Analyzer.

RESULTS: The HA was highly correlated with the ZP-induced AR in all the subjects (rho = 0.626, P < 0.001). In the 69 men with ≤100 sperm bound/ZP, allowing accurate counts, HA was not significantly correlated with sperm–ZP binding. Men with <7% HA sperm were more likely to have very low ZP-induced AR. Only normal sperm morphology was significantly correlated with sperm–ZP binding (rho = 0.346 and 0.446 in semen and insemination medium, respectively, both P < 0.001). Sperm motility and velocities were significantly correlated with sperm morphology but not with either sperm–ZP binding or the ZP-induced AR.

CONCLUSIONS: The correlation of HA with the ZP-induced AR of ZP-bound sperm suggests a mechanistic link between HA and the physiological AR in humans. Assessment of HA of capacitated sperm in vitro may be a useful clinical test for male infertility associated with defective ZP-induced AR that does not require the use of human oocytes.

Key words: hyperactivation/sperm–zona pellucida binding/zona pellucida-induced acrosome reaction/IVF/ICSI

Submitted on March 20, 2007; resubmitted on June 1, 2007; accepted on June 28, 2007.


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