Thymosin Alpha-1 Enhances the Fertilizing Capacity of Human Sperm Cell: Implication in Diagnosis and Treatment of Male Infertility1

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Abstract
The effects of synthetic thymosin peptides (Tα1 and Tβ4) and their antibodies on the fertilizing capacity of human sperm cells were investigated. Tα1, but not the Tβ4, significantly (p < 0.001) increased the human sperm penetration rates in sperm penetration assay (SPA). Antibodies to both Tα1 and TB4, which predominantly bound to the acrosomal region of human sperm cell in the indirect immunofluorescence technique (IFT), also significantly (p < 0.001) increased (up to 4.7-fold) the human sperm penetration rates in SPA. The Tα1 and antibodies to both Tα1 and Tβ4 enhanced spontaneous as well as calcium ionophore-induced acrosome reaction and release of acrosin from the human sperm cells. There was no effect of Tα1 and antibodies to Tα1 and Tβ4 on percent sperm motility, although they significantly affected various motility characteristics such as velocity, amplitude of lateral head displacement (ALH), andβfrequency—the motility parameters involved in hyperactivation phenomenon of sperm cells. Both Tα1 and Tβ4 were detected in the seminal plasma of fertile men, and the levels of Tα1 were significantly (p = 0.002) lower in the seminal plasma of infertile men having defective sperm function. These results indicate that the thymosin molecules, especially Tα1, may have a role in human sperm capacitation leading to acrosome reaction. These findings also suggest that the Tα1 may find clinical applications in the specific diagnosis and treatment of male infertility in humans.

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