Figure 2.
(A). Inhibition of progesterone-elicited capacitation in human sperm by adjudin. Sperm were incubated with adjudin alone and/or in combination with progesterone (P4) 2.5 µM and different concentrations of adjudin (10 nM–10 μM) in the HTF medium for 5 h at 37°C. The percentages of sperm capacitation (‘B’+‘AR’ patterns) are expressed as the mean ± SEM (n = 3). a, compared with control (progesterone- and adjudin-free), P < 0.001; b versus a, c versus b and d versus c, P <0.05 to <0.001. (B) Adjudin inhibition of capacitation in human sperm is reversible. Sperm were preincubated for 5 h in HTF with 10 µM adjudin under capacitating conditions, and then spermatozoa were washed twice with the fresh HTF medium to remove adjudin and re-incubated thereafter in adjudin-free HTF for 1–3 h. The results (‘AR’ pattern alone) are expressed as the mean ± SEM (n = 3). Identical letters indicate that there is no significant difference. b when compared with a (P4 alone), P > 0.05. a versus c, P < 0.01; b versus c, P < 0.01.