Male contraception, IV: hypotonic-like effect from Echeveria gibbiflora on human sperm.

At present there is no accepted method for the regulation of male fertility. The most appropriate form of contraception would undoubtedly be to develop from traditional plant-derived folk drugs a contraceptive male method. Hypoosmotic shock is used for validate plasma membrane function and its fertilizing capacity of human sperm. Such effect is induced in human sperm in the presence of a purified fraction from Echeveria gibbiflora (PFEG) aqueous crude extract. The hypotonic-like effect included a distension of the plasma membrane over the acrosome region and in some occasions around the sperm middle piece. An enhanced activity of the immobilizing and agglutination effects was induced instantaneously after the addition of PEFG versus aqueous crude extract activity (OBACE). Using electron microscopy it was possible to observe a deposit of a "sticky" dense material intercalated along the plasma membrane. The membrane was sealed making it impossible to measure the viability or metabolic activity of the treated sperm by the fluorescence (FDA-IP) technique. It was also possible to corroborate the dispersion of the acrosomal content and the disappearance of the acrosomal and nuclear membrane. Results that makes PFEG hypotonic-like effect a serious candidate to conduct a study to determine the predicting capacity of this compound in human infertility and suggest that the plant may yield a compound suitable for use as male contraceptive agent.