[Inhibitory effect of (S)-chlorohydrin on rat sperm motility and hyperactivation]

To investigate the effects of (S)-alpha-chlorohydrin (SACH) on rat epididymal sperm motility and hyperactivation and explore the mechanisms of the effects.

20 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided randomly into 4 groups and dosed orally with 0, 2.5, 5.0 and 10 mg/kg BW SACH respectively for 52 days. After the cauda epididymal sperm were incubated under a capacitating condition for 5 h, sperm motility and hyperactivation parameters were obtained by computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA), and sperm-specific glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDS) activity, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) were assayed. The protecting effect of pentoxifylline (PTF) against SACH was aslo tested.

The sperm from the SACH-treated rats treated showed significant decreases in curvilinear velocity (VCL), average path velocity (VAP), straight line velocity (VSL) and amplitude of lateral head movement (ALH) (P < 0.01 of all), and an increase in linearity (LIN) (P < 0.01). The SACH-treated rats had much less sperm population with VCL > or = 400 microm/s or LIN < or = 20% than that of the control (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively), indicating that SACH diminished hyperactivation of rat sperm. GAPDS activities were inhibited by SACH, and decreasing trends of ATP and cAMP levels were observed. PTF rescued the cAMP level which was depressed by SACH, and alleviated in part the inhibition of sperm motility and hyperactivation.

SACH impaired the motility and hyperactivation of rat sperm, which might result from the inhibition of GAPDS by SACH and subsequent defects of ATP and cAMP.