Human Reproduction Update Advance Access originally published online on November 4, 2005
Human Reproduction Update 2006 12(1):23-37; doi:10.1093/humupd/dmi047
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Sperm transport in the female reproductive tract
1 Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA and 2 Academic Unit of Reproductive and Developmental Medicine, The University of Sheffield, Level 4, The Jessop Wing, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield, UK
3 To whom correspondence should be addressed at: Department of Biomedical Sciences, T5-002B Veterinary Research Tower, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA. E-mail: sss7{at}cornell.edu
Submitted on July 12, 2005; revised on September 26, 2005; accepted on October 4, 2005
At coitus, human sperm are deposited into the anterior vagina, where, to avoid vaginal acid and immune responses, they quickly contact cervical mucus and enter the cervix. Cervical mucus filters out sperm with poor morphology and motility and as such only a minority of ejaculated sperm actually enter the cervix. In the uterus, muscular contractions may enhance passage of sperm through the uterine cavity. A few thousand sperm swim through the uterotubal junctions to reach the Fallopian tubes (uterine tubes, oviducts) where sperm are stored in a reservoir, or at least maintained in a fertile state, by interacting with endosalpingeal (oviductal) epithelium. As the time of ovulation approaches, sperm become capacitated and hyperactivated, which enables them to proceed towards the tubal ampulla. Sperm may be guided to the oocyte by a combination of thermotaxis and chemotaxis. Motility hyperactivation assists sperm in penetrating mucus in the tubes and the cumulus oophorus and zona pellucida of the oocyte, so that they may finally fuse with the oocyte plasma membrane. Knowledge of the biology of sperm transport can inspire improvements in artificial insemination, IVF, the diagnosis of infertility and the development of contraceptives.
Key words: Fallopian tube / spermatozoa / uterine tube / uterus / vagina
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