Carnitine and acetylcarnitine in motile and immotile human spermatozoa

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Abstract
Human sperm were found to contain acetylcarnitine, carnitine, and only traces of propionylcarnitine and 4-C acylcarnitines. Carnitine and actylcarnitine were present in higher concentrations in sperm than in the corresponding seminal fluid samples; the degree of acylation of carnitine was greater in sperm than in seminal plasma. The ratio of acetylcarnitine/carnitine was 1.77 .+-. 0.69 in extracts ofsperm from samples with a low degree of motility (0-10% motile); it was 4.70 .+-. 1.58 in samples which were 40-80% motile. The possible significance of this difference with regard to the degree of acylation of coA is discussed.