Nanovid microscopy for assessing sperm membrane changes induced by in vitro capacitating and acrosomal reacting procedures.

Abstract

This study was to verify the usefulness of Nanovid microscopy techniques for evaluating induced modifications in bovine spermatozoal membranes. Frozen thawed bovine sperm were labeled with 20-nm colloidal gold particles bound to concanavalin A (ConA) or heparin ligands. Sperm membrane changes were induced in vitro by capacitating and acrosome-reacting procedures. Capacitation was induced by incubation with 10 micrograms/ml of heparin for 4 hours at 37 degrees C, 5% CO2, and high humidity. Membrane changes associated with the acrosome reaction were induced by addition of lysophosphatidylcholine (100 micrograms/ml) and incubation for 15 minutes at 37 degrees C, 5% CO2, and high humidity. Gray intensity (black = 0; white = 255) of sperm (ONCELL) and background (OFFCELL) were evaluated with computer-enhanced videomicroscopy with either differential interference contrast (DIC) or Nanovid optics. A high gold concentration on a membrane region produced blacker video pictures with Nanovid microscopy. Gray intensity of video pictures of a region with little or no gold would have a gray intensity equal to or greater than that of the background, that is, toward white. Weighted least squares methods were used to analyze ONCELL data using OFFCELL as a covariate. In experiment 1, ONCELL intensities of cells labeled with ConA-gold complex were lower than those labeled with heparin-gold at the same treatment level. In experiment 2, ONCELL intensity decreased as the concentration of heparin-gold increased from 0 to 0.041 microgram/microliter heparin. ONCELL intensity significantly decreased after sperm were treated with the highest heparin-gold level and acrosome reacted.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)