Abstract
THE difficulty in attempting to correlate the levels of nicotin-amide nucleotide coenzymes with the metabolism of intact animal cells is to distinguish clearly between changes in the coenzyme oxidation-reduction levels which arise from the metabolism of “resting” cells and changes which are associated with other types of cellular activity, such as growth, division and multiplication. Other problems are how to maintain cell viability and what parameters to use in assessing that viability. Spermatozoa are therefore particularly convenient as experimental objects, for they neither grow nor multiply, but can survive for a long time inside and outside the body. Their viability can be checked by quantitative measurements of motility. Furthermore, at least in respect of carbohydrate metabolism, mammalian spermatozoa depend for their supply of energy on extracellular sources, chiefly in the form of fructose which they utilize anaerobically and aerobically, at a rate which is directly and closely related to the degree of sperm motility1–3. Thus, changes in the concentration of intra-cellular coenzymes during fructolysis are directly attributable to carbohydrate metabolism.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Mann, T., Biochem. J., 40, 481 (1946).
Mann, T., J. Agric. Sci., 38, 323 (1948).
Mann, T., The Biochemistry of Semen and of the Male Reproductive Tract (Methuen, London, 1964).
King, T. E., and Mann, T., Proc. Roy. Soc., B, 151, 226 (1959).
Greenbaum, A. L., Clark, J. B., and McLean, P., Biochem. J., 95, 161 (1965).
Bistocchi, M., D'Alessio, G., and Leone, E., J. Reprod. Fert., 16, 223 (1968).
Brooks, D. E., Biochem. J., 118, 851 (1970).
King, T. E., and Mann, T., in Methods in Enzymology, 9, 31 (Academic Press, London and New York, 1966).
Mann, T., and Lutwak-Mann, C., Biochem. J., 43, 266 (1948).
Gonse, P. H., in Spermatozoan Motility (edit. by Bishop, D. W.) (Amer. Assoc. Adv. Sci., Washington DC, 1962).
Mann, T., and White, I. G., Biochem. J., 65, 634 (1957).
Chance, B., Harvey Lectures, 49, 145 (1954).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
BROOKS, D., MANN, T. NAD in the Metabolism of Motile Spermatozoa. Nature 234, 301–302 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1038/234301a0
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/234301a0
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.