FIGURE 1.
Effect of SPINK3 on acrosome reaction (AR). (A) Different SPINK3 concentrations were added at the beginning of the incubation time in either non-capacitating (NC, gray bars) or capacitating (CAP, black bars) medium (60 min at 37°C). AR was induced by 50 μM progesterone (“P4”) (data represent mean ± SE; n = 3). *p < 0.05 respect to control Progesterone-induced capacitated cells; Δp < 0.05 compared to 1 μM SPINK3 treatment. (B) SPINK3 (13 μM) was added either at the beginning (SPINK3t0 min + P4) or at the end of capacitation (SPINK3t60 min + P4). Progesterone (50 μM) was always added after capacitation was completed (data represent mean ± S.E.; n = 8); **p < 0.05 with respect to cells treated with SPINK3 at the beginning of capacitation (SPINK3 + P4).