The effects of carnitine, glycerylphosphorylcholine, caffeine, and egg yolk on the motility of rat epididymal spermatozoa

Abstract

Abstract Experiments were performed to further the understanding of epididymal processes involved in the acquisition of sperm motility. Samples of luminal contents were collected by micropuncture from four regions of the rat epididymis. These samples were incubated in various diluents to observe the effects of the diluents on sperm motility. Consonant with previous reports, 40 mM glycerylphosphorylcholine (GPC) and 60 mM DL‐carnitine reduced overall motility scores of cauda epididymidal spermatozoa but did not prevent normal initiation of motility. Additionally, control sperm cells and cells treated with carnitine could reinitiate full motility after becoming immotile. Spermatozoa treated with GPC could not reinitiate motility. The sperm cells in our system thus react to GPC and carnitine in fundamentally different ways, the exact nature of which remains to be determined. Spermatozoa from the distal caput epididymidis evidenced high motility scores when diluted in a 5% egg yolk + 10 mM caffeine diluent. It was demonstrated, however, that the subjective appearance of full motility in these immature cells was not supported by actual progressive motility as measured in an assay of linear distance traveled. It was concluded that neither 10 mM caffeine, 5% egg yolk, nor their combination was sufficient to induce progressive motility in immature rat spermatozoa.