Futile substrate cycles in the glycolytic pathway of boar and rat spermatozoa and the effect of α-chlorohydrin

in Reproduction
Authors:
W. C. L. Ford
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A. Harrison
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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1530/jrf.0.0790021
Volume/Issue:
Volume 79: Issue 1
Page Range:
21–32
Article Type:
Research Article
Online Publication Date:
Jan 1987
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Summary. In boar spermatozoa incubated with 0·1 mm-glucose about 20 nmol glucose were converted to lactate and CO2 and the rate of futile substrate cycling between glucose and glucose 6-phosphate was about 6nmol/108 spermatozoa/30 min. Futile cycling was increased in the presence of 0·05 or 1 mm-α-chlorohydrin but not to an extent sufficient to account for the rapid decline in ATP concentration observed under these conditions. These estimates include a substantial rate of fructose formation from fructose phosphates. The addition of 10 mm-l-lactate plus 1 mm-pyruvate protected the spermatozoa against the effect of α-chlorohydrin and glucose on the ATP concentration but increased futile substrate cycling. Substrate cycling between fructose 6-phosphate and fructose 1,6-bisphosphate could not be measured in boar spermatozoa but in rat spermatozoa its rate (nmol/108 spermatozoa/30 min) was about 10 under control condition and about 25 in the presence of 1 mm-α-chlorohydrin. This increase was insufficient to account for the decline in ATP concentration. In both species futile substrate cycling consumed a significant proportion of the ATP synthesis during lactate production but only about 5% of that produced in the oxidation of glucose to acetyl carnitine and CO2.

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Print ISSN:
1470-1626
Online ISSN:
1741-7899