In vitro Effects of β-Carotene for the Motility, ATP and Intracellular Free Ca2+ Concentrations of Fowl Spermatozoa

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The motility of intact fowl spermatozoa was vigorous at 25°C, but decreased gradually following the addition of 0-100 μM β-carotene in a dose-dependent manner. Even in the presence of stimulators of fowl sperm motility, such as Ca2+ or calyculin A, the motility of intact spermatozoa at both 25°C and 40°C remained inhibited following the addition of β- carotene. Under all of these circumstances, sperm ATP concentrations were not reduced by the addition of β-carotene. Moreover, the motility of demembranated spermatozoa was not inhibited by the addition of the same concentrations of β-carotene. No changes in intracellular free Ca2+ concentrations, measured by means of a fluorescent Ca2+ indicator, fura-2, were observed in intact β-carotene -treated spermatozoa. These results suggest that β-carotene is involved in the inhibition of the flagellar movement of fowl spermatozoa without change in energy production, and that the target of β-carotene might be present in the cytoplasmic matrix and/or the plasma membrane, but not retained in the axoneme and/or accessory cytoskeletal components.