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Updated: Aug 7, 2026

Medium-throughput Screening Assays for Assessment of Effects on Ca2+-Signaling and Acrosome Reaction in Human Sperm
Published on: March 1, 2019
[Mechanism of IL-6 on acrosome reaction in human sperm]
1Clinical Laboratory, Shenzhen Futian Women and Children Health Care Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518026, China. zijie20@sohu.com
Objective:
To explore the mechanism of interleukin-6 (IL-6) on acrosome reaction (AR) in human sperm.
Methods:
Sperm acrosin activity was measured by BAEE/ADH and AR evaluated by FITC-PSA.
Results:
IL-6 could induce the activity of acrosin and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and enhance AR in human sperm. AR was not induced by extracellular Ca2+, and IL-6-induced AR did not occur in Ca2(+)-free medium. Calphostin C, one inhibitor of the protein kinase C (PKC), could block IL-6-induced AR in human sperm.
Conclusion:
IL-6 could induce AR by stimulating the activity of acrosin and SOD in human sperm, which also involves the activation of PKC, and requires the presence of extracellular Ca2+.
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