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The alteration of PLCζ protein expression in unexplained infertile and asthenoteratozoospermic patients: A potential effect on sperm fertilization ability
Author(s) -
Rahimizadeh Pegah,
Topraggaleh Tohid Rezaei,
NasrEsfahani Mohammad Hossein,
Ziarati Niloofar,
Mirshahvaladi Shahab,
Esmaeili Vahid,
Seifi Soroush,
EftekhariYazdi Poopak,
Shahverdi Abdolhossein
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
molecular reproduction and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.745
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1098-2795
pISSN - 1040-452X
DOI - 10.1002/mrd.23293
Subject(s) - biology , sperm , semen , andrology , dna fragmentation , semen analysis , oocyte activation , western blot , human fertilization , oocyte , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , infertility , embryo , apoptosis , medicine , pregnancy , programmed cell death , gene
Failed oocyte activation has been observed in unexplained infertile (UI) and asthenoteratozoospermic (AT) men. The deficiency of phospholipase C‐zeta (PLCζ) could be a possible reason for such failures and has not been studied yet. We investigated the expression and localization of PLCζ protein in the sperms of patients with UI and AT conditions. The relationships between PLCζ‐related parameters with male age, sperm characteristics, DNA integrity, and cellular maturity were assessed. Semen samples were collected from fertile ( n = 40), UI ( n = 40), and AT ( n = 40) men. Subsequently, semen analysis, DNA fragmentation, hyaluronic acid‐binding ability, and PLCζ level along with its distribution were evaluated using computer‐assisted sperm analyzer, sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA), hyaluronic acid‐binding assay (HBA), western blot analysis and immunofluorescence microscopy, respectively. Unlike SCSA, the values of HBA, and PLCζ expression were significantly reduced in UI and AT patients compared to fertile men, whereas no significant differences were observed among the experimental groups in terms of PLCζ localization patterns. The regression analysis also showed that HBA is the only variable associated with PLCζ levels. Furthermore, the correlation of male age with PLCζ localization in postacrosomal, equatorial, and acrosomal+postacrosomal+equatorial (A+PA+E) patterns, as well as the relation of normal morphology, with the (A+PA+E) pattern, remained in the regression model. Our findings indicated that reduced PLCζ level along with the increased DNA fragmentation and impaired maturation may be possible etiologies of decreased fertilization in the studied subjects.