1995-Potassium channels regulate hypo-osmotic shockinduced.pdfVIP

ELSEVIER Aquaculture 129 (1995) 123-128 Aquaculture Potassium channels regulate hypo-osmotic shock- induced motility of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) sperm 201th Krasznaia,* , Ter6z MAriAnb, Lz16 Balkayb, Rezs6 Gp Jr.“, Lajos Tr6nb “Department of Biophysics, University Medical School of Debrecen, H-4012, Debrecen, Hungary bBiomedical Cyclotron Laboratory, University Medical School of Debrecen, H-4012 Debrecen, Hungary Abstract The osmolality and composition of fish seminal plasma usually suppress sperm motility in the testis and sperm duct. Change in the osmolality of the environment at spawning activates flagellar motion of the sperm tail. The effect of inhibitors of anion and cation channels on active motion was investigated by a microscopic motility test. While sodium channel inhibitors (amiloride and tetrodotoxin) as well as anion channel inhibitors (DIDS and ethacrynic acid) did not affect motility, potassium channel inhibitors (4-AP, quinine, veratrine, verapamil) decreased the duration of flagellar motion or abolished motility completely. Potassium channel inhibitors exerted an effect on sperm motility depending on the dose and length of incubation. The voltage-activated K * blocker 4-aminopiridine proved to be the most potent inhibitor. Its effect was completely reversible, indicating that the functional state of potassium channels is essential to the activation mechanism of sperm. Intracellular pH of the spermatozoa was measured by a fluorescent flow cytometric technique. Hypo-osmotic shock induced intracellular alkalinization of carp sperm. Increase in pH, was 0.15 pH units. In the presence of 4-AP the measured amplitude and kinetics of the pH, change was the same as in the absence of this inhibitor, arguing against a regulatory role of intracellular pH change. Keywords: Cyprinus carpio; Sperm motility; Anion channel inhibitors; Potassium channel inhibitors; Hypo- osmotic shock; Intracellular pH 1. Introduction Fish spermatozoa