Activation of spermatozoal forward migration in vitro by hydrocortisone

The effects of hydrocortisone and cortisone on spermatozoal motility in vitro were tested Hydrocortisone at concentrations of 50, 100 and 1000 nmoles/ml was effective in activating in vitro the forward migration and the motility of boar spermatozoa recovered from the cauda epididymidis. Where boar epididymal spermatozoa were incubated with hydrocortisone at concentrations of 50, 100 and 1000 nmoles/ml for between 0 and 24 h at 25 degrees C in vitro, the spermatozoal motility was significantly higher than where no hydrocortisone was added. With ejaculated boar spermatozoa, hydrocortisone at concentrations of 100 and 1000 nmoles/ml increased the spermatozoal motility for between 0 and 2 h and at concentration of 50 nmoles/ml increased spermatozoal motility for between 2 and 24 hr at 25 degrees C in vitro. After 4 incubation, the effect of hydrocortisone at a concentration of 100 nmoles/ml on boar ejaculated sperm motility was not significantly different from the control. But, hydrocortisone at a concentration of 1000 nmoles/ml inhibited for forward migration of boar ejaculated sperm after it had been incubated with the sperm for 6 h. Cortisone, although structurally similar to hydrocortisone, had no significant effect in improving the motility of boar spermatozoa. Both hydrocortisone and cortisone had no demonstrable effect on the forward migration and the motility of human spermatozoa in vitro.