Carbohidratos y ácido siálico en las glicoproteínas del espermatozoide.

Carbohydrates and sialic acid were quantified by spectrophotometric determination in seminal plasma, spermatozoa and glycocalyx of normospermic men. Sialic Acid content is higher in spermatozoa than in seminal plasma (130 ± 15 vs. 23 ± 5 µg/mg prot) while than carbohydrates are higher in seminal plasma than spermatozoa (200 ± 20 vs. 4.5 ± 0.5 µg/mg prot). Chemical composition of glycocalyx showed that protein and carbohydrates content is similar (µg/µg prot) and contains twice as much carbohydrates that sialic acid contents (0.45 ± 0.05 µg/µg prot). These oligosaccharide chains of outer sperm surface indicate its possible participation in the sperm-egg interactions and subsequent cell fusion phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]