| Chlortetracycline (CTC) fluorescent pattern, the ability to undergo acrosome reaction (AR) upon exposure to 10 µM calcium ionophore A23187 and vitality estimation were used to investigate the effect of the sulfated glycosaminoglycan heparin on the in vitro capacitation of porcine spermatozoa. Sperm incubation in capacitating medium (CM) supplemented with 10 mM heparin for up to 120 min, showed an increase in the number of capacitated sperm (B pattern) and acrosome reacted sperm (AR pattern), without affecting their viability. In this condition, spermatozoa were incubated in CM depleted of albumin, calcium, bicarbonate or combinations, in the presence of heparin. In either calcium or bicarbonate-free media, capacitation was only basal and did not show... |
