Effect of platelet-activating factor (PAF) on stallion sperm motility, capacitation and the acrosome reaction.
Abstract: Phospholipids are an essential component of all mammalian cells; platelet activating factor (PAF=1-O-alkyl-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine) is a signalling phospholipid that has many biological properties in addition to platelet activation. PAF receptors have been detected on stallion spermatozoa; therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of synthetic PAF on the motility, capacitation and the acrosome reaction of stallion spermatozoa. Treatment of ten stallion semen samples with 10(-4)-10(-13) mol PAF l(-1) resulted in significant differences in motility and capacitation (r(2)=0.81 and 0.83, respectively). Statistical analysis indicated that PAF also has an effect on acrosome reaction (r(2)=0.20). PAF concentrations, incubation time and their interaction had a highly significant (P<0.01) effect on motility. After capacitation in vitro with PAF, and induction of the acrosome reaction by progesterone, transmission electron microscopy was conducted on the spermatozoa of three stallions to detect the true acrosome reaction. Differences in PAF concentrations were highly significant (r(2) for intact: 97.2; reacted: 89.8; and vesiculated: 98.1). The results indicate that a lower concentration of PAF enhances motility and induces capacitation of stallion spermatozoa, whereas a higher concentration of PAF induces the acrosome reaction.
Publication Date: 2003-11-13 PubMed ID: 14611633
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The research focused on understanding the effect of platelet-activating factor (PAF), a signalling phospholipid, on the movement, preparation for fertilization (capacitation), and the activation of a specific reaction (acrosome reaction) in stallion sperm cells. The results showed that at lower concentrations, PAF increased the sperm’s movement and prepared them for fertilization while higher concentrations activated the acrosome reaction.
Research Objective
- The primary goal of this study was to analyse the effect of synthetic platelet-activating factor (PAF) on various stages of stallion sperm—motility, capacitation, and the acrosome reaction.
Methods and Materials
- Researchers treated ten semen samples from stallions with varying concentrations of PAF (10(-4)-10(-13) mol PAF l(-1)).
- They conducted statistical analysis to gauge PAF’s influence on sperm motility, capacitation, and the acrosome reaction.
- After inducing capacitation in vitro with PAF and triggering the acrosome reaction via progesterone, they used transmission electron microscopy to detect true acrosome reactions in the spermatozoa of three stallions.
Results
- The study found that PAF concentrations, the duration of incubation, and their combined effect significantly impacted sperm motility.
- Differences in PAF concentrations significantly influenced the conditions of sperm. This was reflected in the high r(2) values: for intact – 97.2; reacted – 89.8; and vesiculated – 98.1.
Implication of Results
- The research suggests that lower PAF doses enhance stallion sperm motility and induce capacitation.
- A higher concentration of PAF stimulates the acrosome reaction, a critical process enabling the sperm to penetrate and fertilize the egg.
Cite This Article
APA
Odeh AI, Dascanio JJ, Caceci T, Bowen J, Eng LA.
(2003).
Effect of platelet-activating factor (PAF) on stallion sperm motility, capacitation and the acrosome reaction.
Reproduction, 126(5), 605-613.
Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0442, USA. aodeh@vt.edu
MeSH Terms
- Acrosome Reaction / drug effects
- Animals
- Cells, Cultured
- Fertilization in Vitro / veterinary
- Horses
- Male
- Microscopy, Electron
- Platelet Activating Factor / pharmacology
- Sperm Capacitation / drug effects
- Sperm Motility / drug effects
- Spermatozoa / drug effects
- Spermatozoa / physiology
- Spermatozoa / ultrastructure
Citations
This article has been cited 3 times.- Shan S, Xu F, Hirschfeld M, Brenig B. Sperm Lipid Markers of Male Fertility in Mammals. Int J Mol Sci 2021 Aug 16;22(16).
- Esmaeilpour T, Zarei MR, Bahmanpour S, Aliabadi E, Hosseini A, Jaberipour M. Effect of follicular fluid and platelet-activating factor on lactate dehydrogenase C expression in human asthenozoospermic samples. Iran J Med Sci 2014 Jan;39(1):20-8.
- Liu C, Liu H, Wang X, Xinbo S. Clinical significance and expression of PAF and TNF-alpha in seminal plasma of leukocytospermic patients. Mediators Inflamm 2012;2012:639735.
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