Abstract

ROLE OF CHOLESTEROL IN REGULATION OF SPERM MATURATION IN EPIDIDYMAL MICRO-ENVIRONMENT OF LARGE WHITE YORKSHIRE BOAR (SUS SCROFA DOMESTICUS)

Somraj Chattaraj, Siddhartha Basu*, Uttam Datta, Kalyani Ray, Uttam Sarkar

ABSTRACT

Cholesterol (Ch) is the major sterol in ejaculated semen, which is synthesized by epididymal epithelial cells and transported into the lumen through larger vesicles, the epididymosomes. The high cholesterol concentration of immature sperm stabilizes the sperm plasma membrane. During transition as the spermatozoa mature, cholesterol efflux enables sperm progressive motility and any imbalance in Ch level may particularly affect the post-testicular events of sperm maturation that lead to fully infertile male gametes. To understand its influence in initiation of sperm motility in epididymis, Ch concentration were measured in serum, as well as in epididymal luminal and sperm cytosolic fluid from caput corpus and cauda epididymis of boar of around 3-4 years of age and its relationship with sperm motility in epididymal segments was observed. A progressive increase in sperm motility from caput to cauda epididymis was found and a negative association between sperm motility and Ch levels was observed. So, from the clinical point of view, where male infertility is mostly idiopathic, the levels of Ch in serum can pave the way for the development of specific markers assisting in the early diagnosis of idiopathic male infertility due to imbalance in Ch level.

Keywords: Cholesterol; epididymis; Sperm motility.