Steroid-induced perturbations of membranes and its relevance to sperm acrosome reaction

Abstract

The interaction of progesterone, 17-α-hydroxyprogesterone, testosterone and estradiol with membrane vesicles prepared from phosphatidylserine (PS), from the total lipids of human and hamster spermatozoa, from the lipids of hamster spermatozoal plasma and acrosomal membrane and with the native membranes of hamster spermatozoa have been investigated by 90° light scattering and fluorescence spectroscopy. The results indicate that progesterone decreases the fluidity of membranes, aggregates membrane vesicles, induces fusiionn of membrane vesicles and also renders them permeable to hydrophilic molecules like caryfluorescein. But, testosterone and estradiol at the same concentration had very little effect on membrane fluidity, membrane aggregation, fusion and leakage. The above membrane perturbing activities of the steroids is discussed in light of the recent findings that progesterone induces acrosome reaction in human and hamster spermatozoa.