In vitro decondensation of the human spermatozoan nucleus and image analysis. Quantitative data on the kinetics of in vitro decondensation of the human spermatozoan nucleus.

The authors subjected 14 human sperm samples to decondensation in vitro. They analyzed the images of a total of 9,681 objects as a function of time of decondensation. The discussion bears on the heterogeneity of the process of chromatin decondensation in human spermatozoa, on the influence of the zinc/fructose ratio in the seminal fluid and on the role of the period during which the spermatozoa are left in contact with the fluid.