Aims: 

Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) is a multifunctional and pleiotropic neuropeptide. PACAP has been shown to influence the development and functioning of spermatozoa, highest level of PACAP was detected in the testis in the earliest PACAP studies. The first aim of the present study was to determine whether PACAP is present in the human seminal plasma. The second goal of this study was to investigate whether PACAP has an effect on sperm motility.

Methods: 

Samples were obtained from healthy adult volunteers and andrological patients. Presence of PACAP was investigatied by means of mass spectrometry. The effects of PACAP on the motility of human sperm cells was investigated using medeaLAB CASA (Computer Aided Sperm Analysis).

Results: 

Our results show that in some cases PACAP38 was present in the seminal fluid of andrological patients. However, we did not find the characteristic peaks representing the 38 amino acid form of the peptide in the seminal plasma of adult healthy volunteers. In cases where the motility was lower, PACAP treatment increased the motility and the ratio of rapid progressive and medium progressive sperm motility groups. In patients with good motility PACAP had only an effect on the distribution of sperm motility groups: it increased the ratio of rapid progressive sperms.

Conclusion: 

Based on our results, PACAP increases sperm motility, especially in sperms with lower motility. Further studies are needed to clarify the possible correlation between PACAP and pathological conditions.