Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 7, 2026

Fluorimetric Techniques for the Assessment of Sperm Membranes
Published on: November 28, 2018
Influence of enterococci on human sperm membrane in vitro
Hua Qiang1, Ming-Sen Jiang, Jian-Yin Lin
1Department of Pathogenic Biology Etiology, School of Medicine, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China. qianghua66@sina.com
Aim:
To study the influence of enterococci on human sperm membrane in vitro.
Methods:
Ejaculated human sperm were artificially infected with beta-hemolytic or non-beta-hemolytic enterococci at the bacteria: sperm ratio of 50:1 at 37 degrees . Sperm membrane integrity was examined after incubation for 1, 3 and 5 h by hypoosmotic swelling (HOS) test and electron microscopy.
Results:
Sperm infected with beta-hemolytic enterococci had lower HOS scores compared with non-beta-hemolytic strains or uninfected control (P < 0.01). The HOS test scores of sperm infected with beta-hemolytic enterococci increased in the presence of phosphatidylcholine, an inhibitor of hemolysin. Non-beta-hemolytic strains showed no significant difference in swelling rate, compared with the control group (P > 0.05). It was shown by electron microscopy that beta-hemolytic enterococci caused significant rupture of human sperm membrane.
Conclusion:
Beta-hemolytic enterococci caused human sperm membrane injury, and might be mediated by the hemolysin of enterococci.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Surface Membrane Barriers
The outer layer of the skin, the epidermis, is a robust barrier comprising layers of closely packed keratinized cells. This dense arrangement prevents microbes from penetrating the body. The periodic shedding of epidermal cells...
Microbiota of the Urogenital Tract
Spermatogenesis

