Influence of epididymal maturation on the capacity of hamster and rabbit spermatozoa for complement activation

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Abstract
Hamster and rabbit spermatozoa released from the epididymis were tested for the ability to activate complement via the alternative pathway. While hamster spermatozoa were more active, the spermatozoa of both species reduced complement activity in homologous and also human serum previously adsorbed to remove sperm antibodies, and they bound C3 [complement component 3] in the presence of EGTA [ethyleneglycol-bis[.beta.-aminoethyl-ether]-N,N''-tetraacetic acid] + Mg2+. Hamster spermatozoa from the caput epididymidis were more anticomplementary and bound more C3 than did cauda spermatozoa and, though less marked, a similar difference was evident between caput and cauda spermatozoa from the rabbit epididymis.