This study aims to evaluate the expression of genes associated with the fertilisation potential and embryo development, sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF), and acrosome reaction in male partners of infertile couples with different sperm parameters compared to fertile men. First, male partners of infertile couples with abnormal (N = 25) and normal sperm parameters (N = 25), and fertile men (N = 10) were included in experimental groups I, II, and controls respectively. The mRNA levels of the Annexin A2 (ANXA2), Sperm protein 17 (SP17), Plasma serine protease inhibitor (SERPINA5), and Peroxiredoxin-2 (PRDX2) genes and SDF were evaluated. To evaluate the maturity of the sperm and oxidative stress, the acrosome reaction, the lipid peroxidation, and total antioxidant were measured. As result, SP17 showed a significantly lower expression in both experimental groups. SERPINA5 was significantly down-regulated in experimental group I that was aligned with the low rate of acrosome reaction. Significant overexpression of PRDX2 was found between experimental group II and controls. Significant higher rates of SDF were seen in both experimental groups compared to the controls. Finally, our data suggest that differentially gene expression of SP17 is a potential diagnostic biomarker in infertile men either with normal or abnormal sperm parameters. SDF is one of the causes of male infertility, independent of the sperm parameters.
Andrologia. 2022 Aug 12 [Epub ahead of print]
Maliheh Afsari, Farzaneh Fesahat, Ali Reza Talebi, Ashok Agarwal, Ralf Henkel, Fatemeh Zare, Murat Gül, Nunzio Iraci, Rossella Cannarella, Masoud Makki, Morteza Anvari, Abolghsem Abbasi Sarcheshmeh, Amir Hossein Talebi
Department of Biology & Anatomical Sciences, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran., Reproductive Immunology Research Center, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran., American Center for Reproductive Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA., Department of Urology, Selcuk University School of Medicine, Konya, Turkey., Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences (BIOMETEC), University of Catania, Catania, Italy., Mortaz Laboratory of Medical Science, Yazd, Iran., Department of Languages and Literature, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran.