Sodium Hydrosulfide Exerts a Transitional Attenuating Effect on Spermatozoa Migration in Vitro

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) has been shown to have a prominent role in the regulation of reproductive system function and fertility. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of a H2S donor, sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS), on mouse sperm migration in vitro. Special plates with 4 corner wells filled with balanced salt solution (control) and various NaHS solutions in concentrations of 2.5 mmol/l, 5 mmol/l or 10 mmol/l were applied. Spermatozoa from each male mouse were injected (the experiment was repeated with ten BALB/c 5-month old males) into the central pocket, connected with the wells with ducts. After 1 h, 2 h and 4 h of incubation, the number of spermatozoa in each well was determined using Bürker's counting chambers. The number ofspermatozoa in all corner wells were summed and the number of the cells in each well was treated as the percentage share of all the migrated spermatozoa. At the time points of 1 hour and 4 hours, no differences regarding chemotactic features of spermatozoa to the utilized solutions were observed. After two hours of incubation the attenuating effect of NaHS medium and high level solutions on spermatozoa migration was observed, but not for the low concentration mixture: H(3, N = 40) = 9.65, P = 0.022; control group vs 5 mmol/l NaHS solution: 36.0% vs 18.5%, P = 0.023; control group vs 10 mmol/l NaHS solution group: 36.0% vs 17.0%, P 0.011. In conclusion, NaHS has a transitional attenuating effect on spermatozoa migration in vitro.