Abstract
Porcine relaxin has been reported to stimulate various human sperm functions. In this paper we report that human recombinant relaxin binds to human sperm with a high affinity (Kd = 6.5 x 10(-10)). The bound 125I-relaxin was not displaced by insulin, or human chorionic gonadotropin, however, it was displaced by unlabeled relaxin. In sperm function studies, recombinant human relaxin stimulated sperm motility, zona-free hamster egg penetration, and the acrosome reaction.
MeSH terms
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Acrosome / drug effects
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Acrosome / physiology
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Animals
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Binding, Competitive
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Chorionic Gonadotropin / metabolism
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Cricetinae
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Female
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Humans
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Insulin / metabolism
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Iodine Radioisotopes
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Male
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Recombinant Proteins / metabolism
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Relaxin / metabolism*
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Relaxin / pharmacology
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Sperm Motility / drug effects
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Sperm-Ovum Interactions / drug effects
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Spermatozoa / drug effects
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Spermatozoa / metabolism*
Substances
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Chorionic Gonadotropin
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Insulin
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Iodine Radioisotopes
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Recombinant Proteins
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Relaxin