Effects of protease inhibitors on the fertilizing capacity of hamster spermatozoa.

Abstract

Fertilizing capacity of hamster epididymal spermatozoa was inhibited by treatment with synthetic protease inhibitors such as N-α-p-tosyl-L-lysin chloromethyl ketone HCl (TLCK) or L-1-tosylamide-2-phenyl-ethyl-chloromethyl ketone (TPCK), but not by the natural trypsin inhibitors such as soybean or ovomucoid trypsin inhibitors. The number of living fetuses was significantly (p < 0.05) reduced by treatment of spermatozoa with 0.003–0.005% synthetic protease inhibitors but the appearance and the weight of fetuses were not affected.