Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 3, 2026

Medium-throughput Screening Assays for Assessment of Effects on Ca2+-Signaling and Acrosome Reaction in Human Sperm
Published on: March 1, 2019
Insulin and leptin enhance human sperm motility, acrosome reaction and nitric oxide production
Fanuel Lampiao1, Stefan S du Plessis
1Department of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Medical Physiology, University of Stellenbosch, Tygerberg 7505, South Africa. fannuel@sun.ac.za
Aim:
To investigate the in vitro effects of insulin and leptin on human sperm motility, viability, acrosome reaction and nitric oxide (NO) production.
Methods:
Washed human spermatozoa from normozoospermic donors were treated with insulin (10 microIU) and leptin (10 nmol). Insulin and leptin effects were blocked by inhibition of their intracellular effector, phosphotidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), by wortmannin (10 micromol) 30 min prior to insulin and leptin being given. Computer-assisted semen analysis was used to assess motility after 1, 2 and 3 h of incubation. Viability was assessed by fluorescence-activated cell sorting using propidium iodide as a fluorescent probe. Acrosome-reacted cells were observed under a fluorescent microscope using fluorescein-isothiocyanate-Pisum sativum agglutinin as a probe. NO was measured after treating the sperm with 4,5-diaminofluorescein-2/diacetate (DAF-2/DA) and analyzed by fluorescence-activated cell sorting.
Results:
Insulin and leptin significantly increased total motility, progressive motility and acrosome reaction, as well as NO production.
Conclusion:
This study showed the in vitro beneficial effects of insulin and leptin on human sperm function. These hormones could play a role in enhancing the fertilization capacity of human spermatozoa.
More Related Videos
08:22Using an Extracellular Flux Analyzer to Measure Changes in Glycolysis and Oxidative Phosphorylation during Mouse Sperm Capacitation
Published on: January 22, 2020
05:55Stable Isotope In-Vivo Labeling for Mass-Spectrometry Identification of Paternal Metabolites Transferred from Sperm to Oocyte During Fertilization
Published on: June 17, 2025
Related Concept Videos
Sperm Structure and Semen Composition
Sperm Transport
The maturation phase occurs in the epididymis, where sperm...
Spermatogenesis
Male Sexual Response: Erection & Ejaculation
The blood filling the erectile tissues compresses the veins, which helps to prevent blood from leaving...
Infertility in Males
Testosterone: Functions and Regulation