Doctoral Degrees (Medical Physiology)

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Browsing Doctoral Degrees (Medical Physiology) by Author "Du Plessis, S. S. (Simon Stephanus)"

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    A study of the intracellular signalling events involved in the zona pellucida-induced acrosome reaction in human spermatozoa
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2002-12) Du Plessis, S. S. (Simon Stephanus); Franken, D. R.; Page, C.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Dept. of Medicine.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this study the author presents new data that will shed light on the fairly nebulous knowledge of intracellular pathways involved in the physiologically induced acrosome reaction and the subsequent events leading to fertilization. The zona pellucidainduced acrosome reaction, sperm-zona interaction as well as various sperm motion characteristics were investigated. The first part of the study focussed on the role of extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK), a member of the family of mitogen activated protein kinases, during the zona pellucida-induced acrosome reaction and sperm-oocyte interaction. It was shown that the inhibition of ERK significantly reduced the zona pellucida-induced acrosome reaction as measured by fluorescent microscopy. This suggests that ERKs are directly or indirectly involved in the signal transduction pathway through which the human sperm acrosome reaction is induced by the zona pellucida. In an attempt to provide further proof that ERK was involved in human acrosome signalling hemizona assays were employed to test sperm-oocyte binding. From these sperm-oocytebinding experiments it was clear that the inhibition of ERK leads to increased binding. These results support the idea that the zona pellucida-induced acrosome reaction, and therefore the physiologically relevant exocytotic event, is regulated by an ERKmediated signal transduction process. In the second part of the study the significance of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) in the process of human sperm motility, acrosome reaction and sperm-oocyte binding, was investigated by employing the specific PI3K, LY294002. PI3K inhibition increased the percentage motility and percentage progressive motility in asthenozoospermia patients. Under the present laboratory conditions PI3K inhibition furthermore did not influence the acrosome reaction, whilst it enhanced sperm-oocyte binding. These results therefore imply that PI3K negatively affect sperm motility and zona-binding. In the last part of the study the possible effects of intracellular cGMP accumulation via acute in vivo sildenafil citrate (ViagraTM) administration was investigated on seminal parameters, induction of the acrosome reaction, sperm-oocyte binding and sperm motility. As was expected no changes in the macro- and microscopically seminal parameters were caused by sildenafil citrate when compared to placebo. Furthermore the acrosome reaction was also not initiated or potentiated by sildenafil citrate at concentrations of 50mg orally. Sperm-oocyte binding, smooth path velocity, straight line velocity and the percentage rapid cells all increased after sildenafil citrate treatment. From these results it appear that there are various role players in the zona pellucidainduced acrosome reaction intracellular signalling system. A thorough understanding of such signal transduction systems and the crosstalk in-between will ultimately yield information regarding the nature of receptors to which these signal transduction pathways are coupled in human spermatozoa as well as the intracellular effectors that ultimately regulate sperm function. Moreover, an understanding of these regulatory pathways will be essential for the future development of clinical approaches designed to enhance or preclude fertilization.