Flow cytometric detection and analysis of tailless sperm caused by sonication or a chemical agent

Flow cytometric analysis has been developed to detect tailless sperm with heads detached from the tails at the neck position. When isolated tailless sperm suspension was subjected to flow cytometry, a second sperm population appeared alongside the normal sperm population on light scatter-histogram. The percentage of this second sperm population (85.2%) was in good agreement with that for the tailless sperm (88.7%) determined microscopically, indicating that the second sperm population would correspond to tailless sperm population in the light scatter-histogram. Rates for tailless sperm determined by flow cytometry significantly correlated with those estimated microscopically following exposure of sperm to either sonication (r = 0.94, P < 0.01), or nitrobenzene (r = 0.80, P < 0.01). The results indicated the utility of the light scatter-histogram in flow cytometry as a simple and convenient procedure for the detection of tailless sperm induced by chemical compounds.