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Table 2 Effect of solubilised human zona pellucida on intracellular Ca2+ concentration and the acrosome reaction (AR) of capacitated spermatozoa

From: Zona pellucida from fertilised human oocytes induces a voltage-dependent calcium influx and the acrosome reaction in spermatozoa, but cannot be penetrated by sperm

  

[Ca2+]i (nM)

Ca2+ influx(nM)

AR

Type of [Ca2+] increase

Treatment

Basal level

Peak

Sustained phase

Peakb

Sustained phasec

(%)

ZPIARd (%)

Pattern I (n = 12)

hZPa

386.7 ± 35.2

1162.1 ± 196.5***

1030.8 ± 232.4**

775.4 ± 190.8***

644.2 ± 215.4**

61.4 ± 7.7*

44.0 ± 6.5

 

Control

345.8 ± 42.5

363.7 ± 39.3

380.8 ± 33.2

17.9 ± 15.9

35.0 ± 15.5

17.4 ± 2.1

 

Pattern II (n = 9)

hZPa

487.4 ± 62.7

 

1188.9 ± 230.2**

 

701.4 ± 178.3**

60.9 ± 6.6*

34.9 ± 5.8

 

Control

441.1 ± 42.9

 

467.8 ± 52.0

 

26.7 ± 25.0

26.0 ± 2.6

 
  1. All the values are expressed as means ± SEM; the number of experiments is shown in brackets (n=); [Ca2+]i = intracellular Ca2+ concentration; AR = acrosome reaction; pattern I corresponds to a biphasic increase in [Ca2+]I; pattern II corresponds to a monophasic increase in [Ca2+]i ; a2 ZP/μl were incubated with the spermatozoa; bΔ between [Ca2+]i at peak and basal level; cΔ between [Ca2+]i at sustained phase and basal level; dhuman zona pellucida-induced acrosome reaction; *,**,*** statistically different from respective control *p < 0.05,**p < 0.01,***p < 0.001 with Student's t test.