Arginine induced stimulation of rabbit sperm motility

L-Arginine stimulation of ejaculated rabbit sperm motility was quantitated by a spectrophotometric procedure. Stimulation of sperm motility was correlated to arginine concentration, incubation time, and pH. A maximum increase in motility of 85% was apparent for up to 7 hr with 10(-1) M L-arginine. A significant decrease in the ability of L-arginine to stimulate sperm motility was observed at pH values less than 7.0 and greater than 8.0. The percent stimulation was inversely proportional to the initial motility of the sperm sample.