Study of the effect of ulipristal acetate on human sperm ability to interact with tubal tissue and cumulus-oocyte-complexes

ADRIANA M. CAILLE; DÉBORA J. COHEN; CARLOS ZUMOFFEN; LUIS BAHAMONDES; MARÍA JOSÉ MUNUCE; MATÍAS D. GÓMEZ-ELÍAS; PATRICIA S. CUASNICÚ

Buenos Aires

Congreso; Sociedad Argentina de Andrologia (SAA); 2018

Ulispristal acetate (UPA)is a selective progesterone receptor modulator widely used for emergency contraception (EC). The described main mechanism of action is by inhibiting ordelaying ovulation; however, the postovulatory effects of the drug are still ondebate. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine whether UPA couldinterfere with human sperm fertilizing ability.Study designHuman motile spermatozoawere incubated under capacitating conditions with or without UPA, and then usedto inseminate human tubal explants, mouse cumulus-oocyte complexes andzona-free hamster eggs. The ability of UPA to interact with human sperm progesterone(P)-binding sites was investigated by incubating the cells with fluorescent-labeled P and analyzing them by fluorescence microscopy.Results: UPA did not affect theability of human sperm to bind to human tubal tissue explants surface or to penetratethe mouse cumulus mass and the zona-free hamster eggs. In addition,concentrations of UPA much higher than those present in the plasma of EC pill users were required to bind to human sperm P-binding sites. ConclusionsOur study supports a lackof an agonist or antagonist action of UPA on different functional parametersassociated with the fertilizing ability of human sperm. Implications: This study provides newfunctional evidence supporting that the contraceptive action of UPA is notrelated to effects on human sperm cells, contributing to a better understandingof the mechanism of action of UPA as EC.