Increased velocity and induction of chemotactic response in mouse spermatozoa by follicular and oviductal fluids

Abstract

The dynamic parameters of mouse sperm cells exposed to follicular and oviductal fluids were assessed. Spermatozoa were tracked on a chemotactic Zigmond chamber and recorded using a videomicroscopy system. The results were evaluated with computer-supported image analysis. Follicular fluid at a dilution of 10(-4) markedly increased the proportion of spermatozoa with high velocity, and stimulated chemotactic behaviour. The highest velocities were observed in sperm cells exposed to oviductal fluid, and a greater proportion of these cells had high velocity compared with those exposed to follicular fluid. Chemotaxis was induced in spermatozoa exposed to oviductal fluid at dilutions of 10(-3) and 10(-5). These results suggest the presence of temporal subpopulations of responsive spermatozoa, considering the distance travelled towards both follicular and oviductal fluids and the proportion of sperm cells migrating towards the gradient in the highest distance ranges. This is the first report on the effect of isolated follicular and oviductal fluids on dynamic parameters and chemotaxis of mouse spermatozoa. The findings support previous work showing that the motility and directionality of mouse sperm cells is increased by factors in the microenvironment of the egg. Although the significance of these factors in vivo is unknown, it is possible that there is a relay mechanism involving sequential activity of both oviductal and follicular fluids to direct the male gametes towards the egg.