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Effects of Extracellular Adenosine 5′-Triphosphate on Human Sperm Motility

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Abstract

Extracellular adenosine 5 ′ -triphosphate (ATP) previously has been shown to increase the fertilization percentage in human in vitro fertilization (IVF) performed for male factor infertility. The objective of this study is to determine the e fects of extracellular adenosine 5 ′ -triphosphate (ATPe) on human sperm function by examining its e fects on end points of sperm capacitation. Sperm obtained from healthy volunteers with normal semen parameters, asthenozoospermic men, and cryopreserved samples were incubated in medium with or without 2.5 mM ATPe. The e fects of ATPe on acrosomal exocytosis, protein tyrosine phosphorylation, and sperm motility parameters were quantified. Although ATPe did not a fect acrosomal exocytosis or protein tyrosine phosphorylation in sperm from healthy donors, it significantly altered several motility parameters, with the largest e fects manifested in increased curvilinear velocity and percentage hyperactivation. ATPe similarly a fected sperm selected for poor motility and thawed cryopreserved sperm but to a lesser extent than its e fects on sperm with normal motility. ATPe increased straight-line velocity and linearity of sperm obtained from asthenozoospermic men. Human sperm motility characteristics are altered by ATPe; this finding may explain its previously reported beneficial e fect on human IVF. These results suggest that ATPe could constitute a new therapeutic modality in the treatment of male infertility.

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Author notes

  1. SBM and CJW contributed equally to the work described in this article.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Research on Reproduction & Women’s Health, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Pennsylvania, 1313 BRB II/III, 421 Curie Blvd, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA

    Scott E. Edwards MD, Mariano G. Buffone PhD, Gerald R. Knee MS, George L. Gerton PhD, Stuart B. Moss PhD & Carmen J. Williams MD, PhD

  2. Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Clinica Medica, University of Padova, Padova, Italy

    Marco Rossato MD

  3. Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Section of Endocrinology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy

    Guglielmo Bonanni MD, Stefano Masiero BSc & Sergio Ferasin BSc

Authors
  1. Scott E. Edwards MD
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  2. Mariano G. Buffone PhD
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  3. Gerald R. Knee MS
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  4. Marco Rossato MD
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  5. Guglielmo Bonanni MD
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  6. Stefano Masiero BSc
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  7. Sergio Ferasin BSc
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  8. George L. Gerton PhD
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  9. Stuart B. Moss PhD
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  10. Carmen J. Williams MD, PhD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Carmen J. Williams MD, PhD.

Additional information

We thank Dr Francesco Di Virgilio for helpful discussions regarding experimental design and analysis and Dr Mary Sammel for assistance with statistical analysis.This work was supported by a grant from Duska Scientific Co to S.M. and C.J.W. G.L.G. was supported by the National Institutes of Health HD41552 and M.G.B. was supported by the International Training and Research Program in Population and Health (D43-TW00671).

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Edwards, S.E., Buffone, M.G., Knee, G.R. et al. Effects of Extracellular Adenosine 5′-Triphosphate on Human Sperm Motility. Reprod. Sci. 14, 655–666 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1177/1933719107306227

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