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Bicarbonate secretion by the female reproductive tract and its impact on sperm fertilizing capacity

Zhou Chenxi, Wang Xiaofei, Chen Xiaozhang

Epithelial Cell Biology Research Center,Department of Physiology,Faculty of Medicine,The Chinese University of Hong Kong,Shatin,Hong Kong,China

Abstract

The luminal fluid environment of the female reproductive tract is considered critical for the sperm to undergo a series of molecular events leading to the final acquisition of their fertilizing capacity. It has been shown that the fluid in the female reproductive tract contains high content of HCO_(3)~(-) and it plays an important role in sperm functions including sperm motility, capacitation, hyperactivation and acrosome reaction. This review summarizes the effects of HCO_(3)~(-) on sperm functions occurring in the female reproductive tract and discusses the transport mechanisms involved in mediating uterine HCO_(3)~(-) secretion. New evidence is also presented to show possible cause of female infertility due to defective HCO_(3)~(-) transporting mechanism.

Key words: endometrium;epithelium;Secretion;bicarbonate;spermmatozoa

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Citing This Article：

Zhou Chenxi, Wang Xiaofei, Chen Xiaozhang. Bicarbonate secretion by the female reproductive tract and its impact on sperm fertilizing capacity. Acta Physiol Sin 2005; 57 (2): (in Chinese with English abstract).