Abstract #3970

Measuring Glycolysis versus Oxidative Phosphorylation in Human Sperm by 13C MR Spectroscopy

Steven Reynolds¹, Sarah Calvert², Jack Pearson², Allan Pacey², and Martyn Paley¹

¹Academic unit of radiology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom, ²Academic Unit of Reproductive and Developmental Medicine, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom

Two main metabolic pathways provide energy for sperm swimming; glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation, producing different biomarkers, including lactate (glycolysis) and bicarbonate/CO₂ (Oxphos) that can be detected by MR spectroscopy. By incubating ¹³C labeled exogenous metabolites with human spermatozoa we identify metabolic pathways and quantify rates of metabolism in spermatozoa. The rate constants for glucose and pyruvate conversion to lactate were estimated as 1.1±0.5x10^-6s^-1 and 2.4±1.1x10^-6s^-1 per million sperm respectively (mean±SD, n=4). Metabolic pathways used by live sperm were assessed and work is being done to estimate the relative importance of different metabolic activity in sperm of normozoospermic and asthenozoospermic patients.

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