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Updated: Jan 6, 2026
Medium-throughput Screening Assays for Assessment of Effects on Ca2+-Signaling and Acrosome Reaction in Human Sperm
Published on: March 1, 2019
An in-vitro assay using human spermatozoa to detect toxicity of biologically active substances
Tino Vollmer1,2,3, Börje Ljungberg4, Vera Jankowski5
1Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umea University, Umea, Sweden. tino.vollmer@charite.de.
Abstract:
Identifying the key toxic players within an in-vivo toxic syndrome is crucial to develop targeted therapies. Here, we established a novel method that characterizes the effect of single substances by means of an ex-vivo incubation set-up. We found that primary human spermatozoa elicit a distinct motile response on a (uremic) toxic milieu. Specifically, this approach describes the influence of a bulk toxic environment (uremia) as well as single substances (uremic toxins) by real-time analyzing motile cellular behavior. We established the human spermatozoa-based toxicity testing (HSTT) for detecting single substance-induced toxicity to be used as a screening tool to identify in-vivo toxins. Further, we propose an application of the HSTT as a method of clinical use to evaluate toxin-removing interventions (hemodialysis).
Insights
This study introduces a new ex-vivo method using human spermatozoa to detect toxins. This human spermatozoa-based toxicity testing (HSTT) can screen for toxic substances and evaluate treatments like hemodialysis.
Area of Science:
- Toxicology
- Reproductive Biology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Identifying specific toxins in complex in-vivo toxic syndromes is vital for developing targeted therapies.
- Current methods for toxin identification can be limited in characterizing individual substance effects.
- Uremia presents a complex toxic milieu impacting various physiological systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish a novel ex-vivo method for characterizing the toxic effects of single substances.
- To develop a screening tool for identifying in-vivo toxins.
- To propose a clinical application for evaluating toxin-removing interventions.
Main Methods:
- Development of an ex-vivo incubation setup using primary human spermatozoa.
- Real-time analysis of spermatozoan motile behavior in response to toxic environments and single substances.
- Establishment of the human spermatozoa-based toxicity testing (HSTT) assay.
Main Results:
- Primary human spermatozoa exhibit a distinct motile response to a uremic toxic milieu.
- The HSTT method effectively characterizes the influence of both bulk toxic environments (uremia) and individual uremic toxins.
- The assay demonstrates potential as a screening tool for single substance-induced toxicity.
Conclusions:
- The human spermatozoa-based toxicity testing (HSTT) is a novel and effective method for detecting single substance-induced toxicity.
- HSTT can serve as a valuable screening tool to identify in-vivo toxins.
- The HSTT assay has potential clinical applications for evaluating the efficacy of interventions like hemodialysis.
