Suspensions of dimyristoyl and dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine vesicles bearing 10 to 40 (w/w)% cholesterol inhibited the fertilizing ability of uterine-capacitated rabbit spermatozoa at concentrations of 1 to 10 mg of lipid/ml. Recovery of fertilizing ability by treated sperm cells was observed following insemination into the uterus 5 to 6 hr before ovulation. Vesicles lacking the sterol were not inhibitory under the conditions employed. Suspensions of cholesterol (0.4 to 4 mg of sterol/ml) with out phospholipid, in contrast, inhibited fertilization. Implication of cholesterol in sperm decapacitation by seminal plasma membrane vesicles is discussed in terms of these results.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Brian K. Davis (1976) studied this question.