Relationship between heparin binding characteristics and ability of human spermatozoa to penetrate hamster ova.

Heparin binding site affinity and density on human spermatozoa were compared between fertile and infertile men with normal or abnormal results in the zona-free hamster ova-sperm penetration assay (SPA). A portion of fresh semen from fertile donors and potentially infertile men was processed through the SPA while the remainder of the ejaculate was used to quantitate heparin binding on spermatozoa. Saturation binding assays with [3H]heparin (15-375 nM) were analysed for 3 groups of men: (1) infertile patients with abnormal SPA results, (2) infertile patients with normal SPA results and (3) fertile donors. The heparin binding site density was significantly higher in men who possessed normal SPA results (infertile men and fertile donors) than in infertile men with abnormal scores in the SPA. There was no difference in heparin binding affinity between the three groups. These findings suggest that the heparin binding-site density may be related to the ability of human spermatozoa to undergo successfully the acrosome reaction.