Background
The current
Conclusion
The modulation of sperm functionality by pOF is conditioned by the origin of the spermatozoa.
Material and methods
The effects of incubating spermatozoa from the epididymis and ejaculate with pOF in capacitating conditions were investigated by analyzing sperm motility, phosphorylation of protein kinase A substrates and proteins in tyrosine (pPKAs and pTyr, respectively), the interaction of the spermatozoa with the oocyte in IVF and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), and, finally, the spermatozoa chromatin condensation status.
Methods
The effects of incubating spermatozoa from the epididymis and ejaculate with pOF in capacitating conditions were investigated by analyzing sperm motility, phosphorylation of protein kinase A substrates and proteins in tyrosine (pPKAs and pTyr, respectively), the interaction of the spermatozoa with the oocyte in IVF and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), and, finally, the spermatozoa chromatin condensation status.
Results
The pOF modified events related to capacitation in epididymal spermatozoa by decreasing motility, pPKAs and pTyr. In the interaction with the oocyte after sperm capacitation, pOF regulated the epididymal and ejaculated spermatozoa differently. While pOF decreased the number of spermatozoa bound to the zona pellucida (Spz/ZP) and increased oocyte activation after ICSI with epididymal spermatozoa, with the ejaculated spermatozoa, it decreased the mean number penetrating each oocyte (Spz/O). Additionally, pOF significantly increased the nuclear decondensation of the epididymal spermatozoa after the fertilization of the oocyte.