Abstract
Various research tools have been used for in vitro detection of sperm chemotaxis. However, they are typically poor in maintenance of gradient stability, not to mention their low efficiency. Microfluidic device offers a new experimental platform for better control over chemical concentration gradient than traditional ones. In the present study, an easy-handle diffusion-based microfluidic chip was established. This device allowed for conduction of three parallel experiments on the same chip, and improved the performance of sperm chemotaxis research. In such a chip, there were six channels surrounding a hexagonal pool. The channels are connected to the hexagon by microchannels. Firstly, the fluid flow in the system was characterized; secondly, fluorescein solution was used to calibrate gradient profiles formed in the central hexagon; thirdly, sperm behavior was observed under two concentration gradients of progesterone (100 pM and 1 mM, respectively) as a validation of the device. Significant differences in chemotactic parameters were recognized between experimental and control groups (p < 0.05). Compared with control group, sperm motility was greatly enhanced in 1 mM group (p < 0.05), but no significant difference was found in 100 pM group. In conclusion, we proposed a microfluidic device for the study of sperm chemotaxis that was capable of generating multi-channel gradients on a chip and would help reduce experimental errors and save time in experiment.
Highlights
In mammals, only few spermatozoa succeed in arriving at the oviduct after rounds of biological selection
We proposed an easy-handle diffusion chip that allows simultaneous observation of sperm behavior in three parallel experiments
Since hydrostatic pressure existed between Pool A and Pool B/C, fluid in Pool A could be driven to Pool B in the peripheral channel or to Pool C through micro-channels (Fig 2A)
Summary
Only few spermatozoa succeed in arriving at the oviduct after rounds of biological selection. The population of sperm which can fertilize the egg is even smaller [1, 2]. It seems inconvincible that sperm can successfully find the egg just by randomly swimming, without any guidance. Chemotaxis has been proposed to be a possible mechanism during the process of sperm guiding to oocytes within the oviduct [3]. It is defined as the oriented movement of PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0142555. It is defined as the oriented movement of PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0142555 November 10, 2015
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