Table 2.
Effect of solubilised human zona pellucida on intracellular Ca2+ concentration and the acrosome reaction (AR) of capacitated spermatozoa
| [Ca2+]i (nM) | Ca2+ influx(nM) | AR | ||||||
| Type of [Ca2+] increase | Treatment | Basal level | Peak | Sustained phase | Peakb | Sustained phasec | (%) | ZPIARd (%) |
| Pattern I (n = 12) | hZPa | 386.7 ± 35.2 | 1162.1 ± 196.5*** | 1030.8 ± 232.4** | 775.4 ± 190.8*** | 644.2 ± 215.4** | 61.4 ± 7.7* | 44.0 ± 6.5 |
| Control | 345.8 ± 42.5 | 363.7 ± 39.3 | 380.8 ± 33.2 | 17.9 ± 15.9 | 35.0 ± 15.5 | 17.4 ± 2.1 | ||
| Pattern II (n = 9) | hZPa | 487.4 ± 62.7 | 1188.9 ± 230.2** | 701.4 ± 178.3** | 60.9 ± 6.6* | 34.9 ± 5.8 | ||
| Control | 441.1 ± 42.9 | 467.8 ± 52.0 | 26.7 ± 25.0 | 26.0 ± 2.6 | ||||
All the values are expressed as means ± SEM; the number of experiments is shown in brackets (n=); [Ca2+]i = intracellular Ca2+ concentration; AR = acrosome reaction; pattern I corresponds to a biphasic increase in [Ca2+]I; pattern II corresponds to a monophasic increase in [Ca2+]i ; a2 ZP/μl were incubated with the spermatozoa; bΔ between [Ca2+]i at peak and basal level; cΔ between [Ca2+]i at sustained phase and basal level; dhuman zona pellucida-induced acrosome reaction; *,**,*** statistically different from respective control *p < 0.05,**p < 0.01,***p < 0.001 with Student's t test.