Über Beziehungen zwischen der Spermienmotilität und dem Gehalt an ungesättigten Fettsäuren sowie dem osmotischen Verhalten der menschlichen Spermienzelle

The relations between sperm motility and the content of lipids and fatty acids in sperm cells were investigated. In addition the osmotic volume changes of sperm cells were studied, by determination of progressive sperm motility, measurement of relative concentration of lipid-peroxy radicals in seminal plasma using chemoluminescence technique, gas-chromatographic determination of fatty acid pattern in sperm cells and in seminal plasma and by electronic measurement of the sperm cell volume. The impulse installment of chemoluminescence increased during the time of storage of the ejaculate. In contrast, this phenomenon was not observed in pure seminal plasma prepared by centrifugation immediately after liquefaction. The pattern of phospholipids and free fatty acids changed during storage of the ejaculate both in sperm cells and in seminal plasma. Sperm cells showed a significant increase of volume under hypotonic stress. The increase of volume is more distinct in spermatozoa with high progressive motility as in spermatozoa with low progressive motility. The determination of initial and late progressive motility enables the differentiation of two groups of sperm populations: one group with a medium initial motility and a normal decrease of motility during the following time and another group with excellent initial motility and an extreme decrease of motility following. The second group is characterized by an especially distinct increase of volume under hypotonic conditions.