Srikanth V, Malini T, Govindarajulu P, Balasubramanian K
Department of Endocrinology, Dr ALM Postgraduate Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Madras, Taramani, Chennai, India.
Int J Androl. 1998 Dec;21(6):343-51. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2605.1998.00134.x.
Epididymal glycosidases play a role in sperm maturation by modifying sperm surface glycoproteins. To study the effects of ethanol on epididymal sperm maturation, ethanol (3 g/kg body weight as 25%, v/v) was administered to a group of rats by gastric-intubation twice daily for 30 days. In another group, rats were also treated with alcohol for 30 days but were then withdrawn from treatment for 30 days to assess the reversibility of ethanol-induced effects. Ethanol-induced changes in epididymal tissue and sperm glycosidases, cauda epididymal sperm motility and the fertility of rats were assessed. Ethanol treatment caused a marked decrease in the specific activities of glycosidases in both tissues and spermatozoa from epididymal segments. Cauda epididymal sperm motility and the fertility of ethanol-treated rats were significantly impaired compared to control rats fed an isocaloric diet. These changes are likely to be the consequence of direct and indirect effects of ethanol mediated through subnormal testosterone and dihydrotestosterone. Most of these changes were found to be reversible. The present study suggests that impaired activity of sperm glycosidases may be one of the factors responsible for defective sperm motility and fertilizing potential in ethanol-treated rats.
附睾糖苷酶通过修饰精子表面糖蛋白在精子成熟过程中发挥作用。为了研究乙醇对附睾精子成熟的影响，将乙醇（按体重3 g/kg，以25%，v/v的比例）通过胃管每日两次给予一组大鼠，持续30天。在另一组中，大鼠也接受30天的酒精处理，但随后停止处理30天以评估乙醇诱导效应的可逆性。评估了乙醇诱导的附睾组织和精子糖苷酶变化、附睾尾部精子活力以及大鼠的生育能力。乙醇处理导致附睾各节段组织和精子中糖苷酶的比活性显著降低。与喂食等热量饮食的对照大鼠相比，乙醇处理大鼠的附睾尾部精子活力和生育能力明显受损。这些变化可能是乙醇通过低于正常水平的睾酮和二氢睾酮介导的直接和间接作用的结果。发现这些变化大多是可逆的。本研究表明，精子糖苷酶活性受损可能是乙醇处理大鼠精子活力和受精潜力缺陷的原因之一。
