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Asthenozoospermia and membrane remodeling enzymes: a new role for phospholipase A 2
Author(s) -
Anfuso C. D.,
Olivieri M.,
Bellanca S.,
Salmeri M.,
Motta C.,
Scalia M.,
Satriano C.,
La Vignera S.,
Burrello N.,
Caporarello N.,
Lupo G.,
Calogero A. E.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
andrology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.947
H-Index - 43
eISSN - 2047-2927
pISSN - 2047-2919
DOI - 10.1111/andr.12101
Subject(s) - asthenozoospermia , motility , sperm motility , biology , sperm , andrology , phospholipase a2 , immunofluorescence , male infertility , enzyme , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry , infertility , immunology , genetics , antibody , medicine , pregnancy
Summary Phosholipase A 2 ( PLA 2 ) activity in the seminal plasma and in sperm heads is closely related to sperm motility and male fertility. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the possible involvement of different isoforms of phospholipase in asthenozoospermia. To accomplish this, cPLA 2 , phospho‐ cPLA 2 , iPLA 2 , and sPLA 2 were evaluated by immunofluorescence and immunoblot analyses in spermatozoa obtained from 22 normozoospermic men and 28 asthenozoospermic patients. We found significant differences in cPLA 2 and its phosphorylated/activated form, iPLA 2 , and sPLA 2 content and distribution in normal and asthenozoospermic patients. cPLA 2 was localized in heads, midpieces, and tails of all spermatozoa as constitutive enzyme, less expressed in the tail of spermatozoa with low progressive motility. While active phospho‐ cPLA 2 distribution was homogeneous throughout the cell body of control‐donor spermatozoa, lower levels were detected in the tails of asthenozoospermic patients, as opposed to its strong presence in heads. Low immunofluorescence signal for iPLA 2 was found in astenozoospermic patients, whereas sPLA 2 was significantly lower in the heads of asthenozoospermic patients. Spermatozoa with low progressive motility showed differences both in terms of total specific activity and of intracellular distribution. cPLA 2 , iPLA 2 , and sPLA 2 specific activities correlated positively and in a significantly manner with sperm progressive motility both in normozoospermic men and asthenozoospermic patients. In conclusion, PLA 2 s are expressed in different areas of human spermatozoa. Spermatozoa with low motility showed differences in total specific activity and enzyme distributions. We speculated that PLA 2 expression and/or different distribution could be potential biomarkers of asthenozoospermia, one of the major causes of male factor infertility.