The Preliminary Study Of Cadmium Chloride On Mouse Sperm Functions

Cadmium is a heavy metal harmful to the environment and human, Its half-life is up to10-30years in vivo, and is one of the accumulation of environmental pollutants.It can cause extensive body damage, especially the male reproductive system.Objective:(1)To study the effects of cadmium on acrosome reaction and capacitation in vitro in mouse spermatozoa;(2)To study whether cadmium affect proteins serine phosphorylation pathway in the sperm capacitation;(3)To study the effects of cadmium on capacitation and DFI in vivo in mouse sperm.Methods:(1) Mouse cauda epididymal spermatozoa were suspended in EKRB medium supplemented with3mg BSA/mL in the presence of0、10、50、500、2500and5000μmol/L cadmium respectively and incubated at37℃for80min, and stimulated with A23187for10min. Acrosome reaction of the sperm was analyzed by Coomassie blue staining;(2) Cauda epididymal spermatozoa were suspended in EKRB medium supplemented with3mg BSA/mL and incubated at37℃for80min, then be treated with cadmium at the concentration of0、10、50、500、 and2500μmol/L respectively and stimulated with A23187for10min. Acrosome reaction of the sperm was analyzed by Coomassie blue staining;(3) Cauda epididymal spermatozoa were capacitated in vitro for90min with cadmium at the concentration of0、10、50、500、5000μmol/L then serine phosphorylation of sperm components was detected by Western blot after SDS-PAGE;(4) Sperm capacitation and DFI were observed after mouse drank water containg cadmium for6weeks.Results:(1)Cadmium significantly inhibited mouse sperm capacitation at the concentration of10、50、500、250、5000μmol/L (P<0.05);(2)Cadmium exhibited no significant influence on acrosome reaction at the concentration of50、500、2500μmol/L(P>0.05);(3)Serine phosphorylation of14kDa,90kDa proteins increased with cadmium at the concentration of0、10、50、500、5000μmol/L;(4) Cadmium significantly inhibited sperm capacitation and damaged the sperm DNA in vivo(P<0.05).Conclusions:(1)Cadmium has no direct effect on mouse sperm acrosome reaction;(2)Cadmium may be affect mouse sperm capacitation by proteins serine phosphorylation in vitro;(3) Cadmium can inhibit mouse sperm capacitation and damage sperm DNA in vivo.