The goals of the present study were to develop a simple method for obtain highly
purified pig sperm hyaluronidase (pHyase) and to assess its activity, function,
and safety. In mammals, sperm-specific glycophosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored
Hyase assists sperm penetration through the cumulus mass surrounding the egg and
aids in the dispersal of the cumulus–oocyte complex. Recently, Purified
bovine sperm hyaluronidase (bHyase) has been shown to enhance therapeutic drug
transport by breaking down the hyaluronan barrier to the lymphatic and capillary
vessels, thereby facilitating tissue absorption. Commercially available Hyase is
typically isolated from bovine or ovine; which have several disadvantages,
including the risk of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, low homology with human
Hyase, and the requirement for relatively complex isolation procedures. This
study successfully isolated highly purified pHyase in only two steps, using
ammonium sulfate precipitation and fast protein liquid chromatography. The
isolated Hyase had activity equal to that of commercial bHyase, facilitated in
vitro fertilization, and effectively dissolved high molecule hyaluronic acid.
This simple, effective isolation method could improve the availability of pHyase
for research and clinical applications.