ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of nonylphenol and cadmium on acrosome reaction in vitro in mouse spermatozoa. METHODS: Sperm were collected from the vas deferens of mice, capacitated in vitro and stimulated with A23187 at 30 micromol/L to induce acrosome reaction. Then the sperm suspension was treated with nonylphenol at 10, 20, 30, 60 and 100 micromol/L or cadmium at 500, 2500 and 5 000 micromol/L, and the control group treated with the carrier solvent. Acrosome reaction of the sperm was analyzed by FITC-PSA staining. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, nonylphenol significantly inhibited acrosome reaction at the concentration of > 60 micromol/L (P < 0.01), but not at < 30 micromol/L (P > 0.05), and the sperm survival rate was reduced with increased concentration of nonylphenol. However, cadmium exhibited no significant influence on either acrosome reaction (P > 0.05) or sperm survival rate at 500 - 5 000 micromol/L. CONCLUSION: Nonylphenol and cadmium affect the spermatogenesis of mice in different ways; the former directly inhibits sperm acrosome reaction, while the latter has no direct effect on it.