Effects of various conditions of semen storage on the acrosin system of human spermatozoa

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Abstract
Stability of the human sperm acrosin system (major components: nonzymogen acrosin, proacrosin and acrosin inhibitor) was studied under various conditions of semen storage used clinically or in the laboratory. Freezing at -196.degree. C caused a profound decrease in total acrosin content and in the amount of this enzyme present in zymogen form (proacrosin) but resulted in some increase in non-zymogen acrosin. Acrosin inhibitor was not significantly effected by this treatment. No relationship was present between the decreases in sperm motility induced by freezing to -196.degree. C and the alterations in total acrosin, proacrosin and non-zymogen acrosin. Storage of whole semen at -20.degree. C had deleterious effects on all the components of the acrosin system measured except for nonzymogen acrosin. Major decreases in the total acrosin, proacrosin and acrosin inhibitor occurred after only 1 day at -20.degree. C and continued slowly thereafter. Whole semen kept at room temperature for up to 24 h after ejaculation did not show any significant changes in the sperm acrosin system. Seminal plasma did not have a detrimental or stabilizing effect on acrosin and proacrosin when spermatozoa were kept at room temperature. Removal of seminal plasma are resuspension of spermatozoa in 0.9% NaCl resulted in the liberation of a significant amount of the acrosin inhibitor from the spermatozoa and the apparent activation of some of the proacrosin to acrosin.