[The transducing pathway of Ca2+ influx during progesterone-initiated acrosome reaction of guinea pig sperm].

Progesterone and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) could initiate the acrosome reaction (AR) in guinea pig spermatozoa, which was independent of extracellular Cl- in vitro, and a potentiation effect between progesterone and GABA was demonstrated. Antagonists of GABAA receptor/Cl- channel, picrotoxin and bicuculline, have no effect on the progesterone-induced AR, but they can significantly inhibit the GABA-induced AR in (Cl-)-containing medium. While in (Cl-)-deficient medium, picrotoxin has significant inhibitory effect on both progesterone- and GABA-induced AR, both progesterone- and GABA-induced AR are inhibited by the Ca2+ channel blocker, nifedipine. These results suggest that a GABAA/Cl- receptor complex and a Ca2+ channel might be involved in the influx of extracellular Ca2+ during the progesterone-induced AR.