Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 5, 2026
09:37
Recording Electrical Currents across the Plasma Membrane of Mammalian Sperm Cells
Published on: February 14, 2021
Compromised extracellular vesicle-mediated communication impairs bull spermatozoa function
Qurat Ul Ain Reshi1, Seyed Omid Reza Mousavi2, Mohammad Mehedi Hasan3
1Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu 51006, Estonia; Department of Pathophysiology, Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tartu, 14B Ravila, Tartu 50411, Estonia.
Animal Reproduction Science
|July 31, 2026
Summary
Oxidative stress alters oviduct extracellular vesicles (EVs), impairing their ability to support sperm acrosome reactions but not capacitation. This highlights EVs as stress-sensitive reproductive modulators.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Biology
- Extracellular Vesicles Research
- Oxidative Stress Studies
Background:
- Oviduct extracellular vesicles (EVs) are crucial for sperm function via bioactive cargo transfer.
- The impact of stress-induced changes in oviductal EVs on sperm function is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how oxidative stress (OS) in bovine oviductal epithelial cells (BOECs) alters EVs.
- To assess the differential effects of these altered EVs on distinct sperm functions, including viability, capacitation, and acrosome reaction.
Main Methods:
- Bovine oviductal epithelial cells (BOECs) were exposed to cobalt chloride (CoCl₂) to induce OS.
- EVs were isolated and characterized for physicochemical and proteomic properties.
- Functional effects of EVs on bovine spermatozoa were evaluated using fluorescence staining and microscopy.
Main Results:
- EVs from stressed BOECs showed altered physicochemical characteristics and proteomic profiles.
- Unstressed EVs dose-dependently enhanced sperm viability, capacitation, and acrosome reaction.
- EVs from stressed BOECs failed to improve sperm viability or acrosome reaction, but maintained capacitation levels.
Conclusions:
- Oxidative stress reshapes the molecular cargo and bioactivity of oviductal EVs.
- EVs act as stress-sensitive modulators, selectively impairing the acrosome reaction while preserving sperm capacitation.
- These findings underscore the role of altered EVs in reproductive success under stress conditions.
Related Concept Videos
01:23Infertility in Males
Male infertility affects millions of couples worldwide, arising from various factors that impact different stages of the reproductive process. An endocrine imbalance resulting from conditions like hypogonadism, Klinefelter syndrome, or pituitary disorders can disrupt hormone levels and reduce sperm production. Testicular defects, such as tumors, cryptorchidism, atrophic testes, abnormal sperm morphology, and low sperm count or motility, may arise due to genetic factors, structural...
01:36Overview of Exosomes
Exosomes are stable, lipid bilayer-enclosed vesicles capable of crossing biological barriers. They can carry a wide range of molecules required for intercellular communication. Once exosomes are released from the cell where they originated, they enter a recipient cell through various pathways such as fusion, receptor-mediated endocytosis, macropinocytosis, and phagocytosis.
Stahl et al. discovered exosomes in 1983, but the exosomes were initially considered waste products released from the...
Stahl et al. discovered exosomes in 1983, but the exosomes were initially considered waste products released from the...
01:41Spermatogenesis
Spermatogenesis is the process by which haploid sperm cells are produced in the male testes. It starts with stem cells located close to the outer rim of seminiferous tubules. These spermatogonial stem cells divide asymmetrically to give rise to additional stem cells (meaning that these structures “self-renew”), as well as sperm progenitors, called spermatocytes. Importantly, this method of asymmetric mitotic division maintains a population of spermatogonial stem cells in the male reproductive...
01:15Sperm Transport
The journey of sperm from its origin to the point of ejaculation begins within the seminiferous tubules of the testis. Here, Sertoli cells produce fluid that propels non-motile sperm through a series of conduits, starting with the straight tubules leading to the rete testis. This interconnected network of tubules acts as the initial pathway for sperm, guiding them into the efferent ductules and then into the epididymis for maturation.
The maturation phase occurs in the epididymis, where sperm...
The maturation phase occurs in the epididymis, where sperm...
01:38Intralumenal Vesicles and Multivesicular Bodies
Intraluminal vesicles (ILVs) are small vesicles 50-80 nm in diameter formed during the maturation of early endosomes. A specialized endosome containing numerous ILVs is called a multivesicular body (MVB). ILVs contain internalized molecules such as antigens, nucleic acids, proteins, and metabolites. Some of these molecules are released from the MVBs inside exosomes and are transported to other cells. Other MVBs contain molecules that are retained in the ILVs and are later degraded within the...
01:22Sperm Structure and Semen Composition
During ejaculation, males release around 2-5 milliliters of semen, which is a complex mixture of mature sperm and various fluids produced by accessory glands. The mature sperm cells measure approximately 60 micrometers in length and consist of a head, neck, midpiece, and tail. The head is flattened and tapered, measuring about 4 to 5 micrometers in length. It contains a nucleus with condensed chromosomes and an acrosome, a cap-like structure filled with enzymes essential for penetrating the...