Ultrastructural study of human sperm acrosome during acetic acid extraction of acrosin

During acrosin extraction from human spermatozoa by acetic acid treatment, severe ultrastructural alterations are observed: loss of the plasma membrane and of parts of the outer acrosomal membrane, total depletion of the acrosomal content, disappearance of the equatorial segment. The inner acrosomal membrane and the nucleus appear unchanged. The alterations are reduced by glycerol pretreatment in spite of improved extraction of the enzyme.