The effect of testosterone on ram spermatozoa collective motility treated by antimycin A

The effect of testosterone on collective motility of antimycin A-treated, Ficoll-400-washed ejaculated ram spermatozoa was studied. The lowest concentration of antimycin A which blocked collective motility in hexose deprived cells (0.4 X 10(9) cells/ml) was 2 X 10(-7) M. Fructose, glucose and mannose, but not galactose, sorbitol or inositol, served as energy sources for collective motility. Cortisol, 5-beta-DHT, androsterone and 5-alpha-pregnan 3-beta-ol-20-one did not affect collective motility. Testosterone inhibited collective motility in a dose-dependent fashion. However, it did not affect lactic acid accumulation. The effect of testosterone was noted both on cells suspended in buffer containing fructose and on exogenously starved cells treated with fructose after collective motility arrest. It was concluded that testosterone might exert its inhibitory effect on motility by uncoupling fructolytic energy production to the tail motility system.