Sperm transport in the female reproductive tract
Top Cited Papers
Open Access
- 4 November 2005
- journal article
- review article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in Human Reproduction Update
- Vol. 12 (1), 23-37
- https://doi.org/10.1093/humupd/dmi047
Abstract
At coitus, human sperm are deposited into the anterior vagina, where, to avoid vaginal acid and immune responses, they quickly contact cervical mucus and enter the cervix. Cervical mucus filters out sperm with poor morphology and motility and as such only a minority of ejaculated sperm actually enter the cervix. In the uterus, muscular contractions may enhance passage of sperm through the uterine cavity. A few thousand sperm swim through the uterotubal junctions to reach the Fallopian tubes (uterine tubes, oviducts) where sperm are stored in a reservoir, or at least maintained in a fertile state, by interacting with endosalpingeal (oviductal) epithelium. As the time of ovulation approaches, sperm become capacitated and hyperactivated, which enables them to proceed towards the tubal ampulla. Sperm may be guided to the oocyte by a combination of thermotaxis and chemotaxis. Motility hyperactivation assists sperm in penetrating mucus in the tubes and the cumulus oophorus and zona pellucida of the oocyte, so that they may finally fuse with the oocyte plasma membrane. Knowledge of the biology of sperm transport can inspire improvements in artificial insemination, IVF, the diagnosis of infertility and the development of contraceptives.Keywords
This publication has 192 references indexed in Scilit:
- Selective Passage Through the Uterotubal Junction of Sperm from a Mixed Population Produced by Chimeras of Calmegin-Knockout and Wild-Type Male Mice1Biology of Reproduction, 2004
- CatSper1 required for evoked Ca 2+ entry and control of flagellar function in spermProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2003
- A sperm ion channel required for sperm motility and male fertilityNature, 2001
- The Leukocytic Reaction of the Human Uterine CervixAmerican Journal of Reproductive Immunology, 1992
- Hyperactivated Sperm Progress in the Mouse Oviduct1Biology of Reproduction, 1992
- A Quantitative Comparison of the Passage of Capacitated and Uncapacitated Hamster Spermatozoa through the Uterotubal Junction1Biology of Reproduction, 1992
- Study of the functional anatomy of bovine cervical mucosa with special reference to mucus secretion and sperm transportThe Anatomical Record, 1989
- Hyperactivated motility induced in mouse sperm by calcium ionophore A23187 is reversibleJournal of Experimental Zoology, 1987
- Initiation of Hyperactivated Flagellar Bending in Mouse Sperm within the Female Reproductive Tract1Biology of Reproduction, 1987
- Effects of pH, Lactate, and Viscoelastic Drag on Sperm Motility: A Species Comparison1Biology of Reproduction, 1985