Magnetic Orientations of Bull Sperm Separated into Head and Flagellum Treated by DTT or Heparin

This paper describes the magnetic orientation of bull sperm separated into the head and the flagellum treated by DTT or heparin in a 5,400G static field. Semen samples collected from four bulls (Japanese Black) were mixed to the same sperm density. One percentage triton X-100 was used to extract the plasma membrane. The intact and demembranated sperm suspensions were treated with 20, 200, 2,000 mM DTT, 100, 1,000 or 10,000 units heparin solutions at $4^{\circ}C$ for 6 days. The decondensation of the sperm nuclei treated by DTT or heparin was examined by measuring the head area at 1, 3 and 6 days. After measuring the area, each sample was exposed to a 5,400G static magnetic field generated by Nd-Fe-B permanent magnets for 24 hours at room temperature. Results showed that the sperms were separated into the head and the flagellum through the DTT treatment. Almost of the separated heads showed that their long axis oriented perpendicularly to the magnetic lines of force, and most of the long axis perpendicularly oriented heads showed that their flat plane oriented perpendicularly in a 5,400G magnetic field. Also, the demembranation of the head tended to increase those perpendicular orientations, while those perpendicular orientations of the head declined with the decondensation of the sperm nuclei. These findings suggest that strong magnetic anisotropy for the perpendicular orientation of the long axis and the flat plane of the head occurs in the sperm nuclei in a 5,400G magnetic field. The separated flagellum showed lower parallel orientation, and the separated and demembranated flagellum showed parallel orientation to the magnetic lines of force in this magnetic field. These findings suggest that weak magnetic anisotropy of the parallel orientation of the flagellum occurs in the inside components in a 5,400G field.