Expanding the use of flow cytometry in semen analysis: The rise of flow spermetry

Abstract

Although flow cytometry is not as popular in spermatology as in other areas of biology and medicine, is increasingly being used in this field Spermatozoa, similarly, to blood cells, are individual cells suspended in a liquid (seminal plasma in spermatozoa) and are thus well suited for flow cytometry analysis. While flow cytometry has been used for a long time in spermatology (with earlier publica-tions dating back to the 80s of the last century), most applications are still simple combinations of 1 or two probes and two colors. However, the complexity of flow cytometry analysis is increasing in the field of spermatology, as evidenced by Umair et al. The authors used a multiparametric approach to measure the production of re-active oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial function, changes in Ca2+ concentration, and plasma membrane fluidity in viable acro-some intact spermatozoa. The authors concluded that prolonged storage of stallion spermatozoa at 5_C resulted in disturbed Ca2+ homeostasis and increased plasma membrane fluidity, demonstrat-ing the power of flow cytometry disclosing the mechanisms of sperm aging during conservation. This study underlines the utility of flow cytometry in studying the biology of spermatozoa and its potential to rapidly translate the information gathered into clinical settings. Other recent papers published also demonstrate the utility of flow cytometry in clinical sperm analysis [4], and the study of the biology of the spermatozoa.