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Antisperm antibody inhibition of sperm penetration of zona-free hamster eggs
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ANTISPERM ANTIBODY INHIBITION OF SPERM PENETRATION OF ZONAFREE HAMSTER EGGS. Nancy J, Alexander and Marianne Joseph, Reproductive Physiology, Oregon Regional Primate Research Center, Beaverton, Oregon 97006. The zona-free hamster system provides a unique functional test of human sperm-egg penetration. We used the assay to evaluate the effects of antisperm antibodies. Human spermatozoa (i x i0 ?) from known fertile individuals were incubated for 30 min 5:1 (v:v) with inactivated serum samples from individuals with circulating antisperm antibodies. Spermatozoa incubated with normal serum served as controls. We chose ii serum samples with high sperm-immobilizing values (~ at I:i0 dilution) and titers of i:0 to 1:80 for sperm agglutination. Of the ii, 4 demonstrated IgG antibodies to the acrosome as revealed by immunofluorescence. The sperm were then incubated with zona-free hamster eggs for 2 h; 5 of ll serum samples totally blocked and another 5 partially blocked fertilization. All tests were run in triplicate (an average of 69 ova per sample) and scored against a no-serum control; normal serum samples usually cause no reduction in the percentage of fertilized ova. Use of the IgG fraction caused a similar inhibition of egg penetration to that of whole serum. With the samples we had, we could not determine a correlation between reduction in fertilized ova and types of antisperm antibodies. The data imply that antigen-antibody interactions on the surface of a spermatozoon can prevent sperm-egg interactions necessary for fertilization.
DO LEYDIG CELLS CONTRIBUTE TO THE IMMUNOLOGICALLY PRIVILEGED STATUS OF THE TESTICLE ? W. Born and H. Wekerle, Max-Planck-Institut for Immunbiologie, Freiburg, FRG. The testis is known as an "immunologically privileged site" and, in addition, suspected to act as a "sanctuary" for certain leukemia cells. In part9 these properties are thought to be a consequence of the special compartmented testicutar architecture. Here we report findings which suggest that these properties may be in addition determined by the interstitial Leydig cells (LC). l) Normal lymphocytes and malignant transformed lymphoid cells form rosettes with LC but not with other testis components. Conversely~ LC bind lymphoid and myeloid celts but not others. 2) Similar to rosette formation 9 lymphocytes adhere to LC-monolayers and this binding is not immune specific. Thymocytes bind in high frequencies to LC which cannot be exhausted by absorption on
ANTISPERM ANTIBODY INHIBITION OF SPERM PENETRATION OF ZONAFREE HAMSTER EGGS. Nancy J, Alexander and Marianne Joseph, Reproductive Physiology, Oregon Regional Primate Research Center, Beaverton, Oregon 97006. The zona-free hamster system provides a unique functional test of human sperm-egg penetration. We used the assay to evaluate the effects of antisperm antibodies. Human spermatozoa (i x i0 ?) from known fertile individuals were incubated for 30 min 5:1 (v:v) with inactivated serum samples from individuals with circulating antisperm antibodies. Spermatozoa incubated with normal serum served as controls. We chose ii serum samples with high sperm-immobilizing values (~ at I:i0 dilution) and titers of i:0 to 1:80 for sperm agglutination. Of the ii, 4 demonstrated IgG antibodies to the acrosome as revealed by immunofluorescence. The sperm were then incubated with zona-free hamster eggs for 2 h; 5 of ll serum samples totally blocked and another 5 partially blocked fertilization. All tests were run in triplicate (an average of 69 ova per sample) and scored against a no-serum control; normal serum samples usually cause no reduction in the percentage of fertilized ova. Use of the IgG fraction caused a similar inhibition of egg penetration to that of whole serum. With the samples we had, we could not determine a correlation between reduction in fertilized ova and types of antisperm antibodies. The data imply that antigen-antibody interactions on the surface of a spermatozoon can prevent sperm-egg interactions necessary for fertilization.
DO LEYDIG CELLS CONTRIBUTE TO THE IMMUNOLOGICALLY PRIVILEGED STATUS OF THE TESTICLE ? W. Born and H. Wekerle, Max-Planck-Institut for Immunbiologie, Freiburg, FRG. The testis is known as an "immunologically privileged site" and, in addition, suspected to act as a "sanctuary" for certain leukemia cells. In part9 these properties are thought to be a consequence of the special compartmented testicutar architecture. Here we report findings which suggest that these properties may be in addition determined by the interstitial Leydig cells (LC). l) Normal lymphocytes and malignant transformed lymphoid cells form rosettes with LC but not with other testis components. Conversely~ LC bind lymphoid and myeloid celts but not others. 2) Similar to rosette formation 9 lymphocytes adhere to LC-monolayers and this binding is not immune specific. Thymocytes bind in high frequencies to LC which cannot be exhausted by absorption on