Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 25, 2026
Flow Cytometric Analysis of Biomarkers for Detecting Human Sperm Functional Defects
Published on: April 21, 2022
Absence of Fas protein detection by flow cytometry in human spermatozoa
Andrea Castro1, Daniela Parodi, Ignacio Morales
1Institute of Maternal and Child Research, School of Medicine, University of Chile, San Borja-Arriarán Clinical Hospital, Santiago, Chile.
Objective:
To investigate the expression of Fas protein on the surface of ejaculated spermatozoa of normozoospermic and nonnormozoospermic men.
Design:
Prospective study.
Setting:
University infertility clinic.
Patient(S):
Twenty-three volunteer normozoospermic men (controls) and 43 men undergoing infertility evaluation (cases).
Intervention(S):
Analysis of ejaculated spermatozoa by indirect immunofluorescence of Fas protein by flow cytometry.
Main Outcome Measure(S):
Comparison of flow cytometric analysis of autofluorescence, control tests (secondary antibody and isotype control), and experimental tests (anti-Fas monoclonal antibody) in the spermatozoa of ejaculated samples.
Result(S):
No expression of Fas protein was found on the surface of ejaculated spermatozoa of controls and cases.
Conclusion(S):
The Fas molecules are not present in substantial amounts in the ejaculated spermatozoa of normozoospermic and nonnormozoospermic men. Therefore, our results do not support the "abortive apoptosis" theory.
