Improvement of Motility and Fertilization Potential of Postthaw Human Sperm Using Glutamine

Author： Renard P. Grizard G. Griveau J.F. Sion B. Boucher D. Le Lannou D.

ISSN： 0011-2240

Source： Cryobiology, Vol.33, Iss.3, 1996-06, pp. : 311-319

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Abstract

The effectiveness of three amino acids, glutamine, proline, and histidine, and one amino acid-related compound, betaine, in preserving human sperm diluted v/v in a basal medium (BM) containing 14% glycerol during the freeze-thaw (FT) process was studied. At 80 m M in BM, only glutamine improved the 5- to 60-min postthaw total and progressive motilities and velocity. The presence of glutamine at 80 m M is not sufficient to achieve lower concentrations of the toxic agent glycerol in FT medium. Glutamine may therefore have a mechanism of protection on human spermatozoa that is independent from that of glycerol. The zona-free hamster egg penetration test showed that the percentage of eggs penetrated was significantly greater when spermatozoa were frozen-thawed with 80 m M glutamine in BM. Consequently, the presence of glutamine at 80 m M in a glycerol-FT medium maintains human sperm motility and fertilizing ability during the FT process.