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Effects of varicocele upon the expression of apoptosis‐related proteins
Author(s) -
Chang F.W.,
Sun G.H.,
Cheng Y.Y.,
Chen I.C.,
Chien H.H.,
Wu G.J.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
andrologia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.633
H-Index - 59
eISSN - 1439-0272
pISSN - 0303-4569
DOI - 10.1111/j.1439-0272.2009.00981.x
Subject(s) - varicocele , semen , apoptosis , andrology , male infertility , semen analysis , sperm , semen quality , biology , poly adp ribose polymerase , infertility , medicine , genetics , pregnancy , polymerase , gene
Summary Varicocele‐associated apoptosis has been recognised as a cause of male infertility. Thus, we assessed the expression of somatic apoptosis‐related proteins (the typical protein‐dependent apoptosis markers) in ejaculated sperm plasma from both patients with varicocele and normal donors. We evaluated the relationships between certain apoptosis‐related proteins and normal semen quality. Semen samples were obtained from 25 patients with varicocele and from 10 normal fertile controls. These samples were compared using computer‐assisted semen analysis for motion parameters and manual analysis for morphology, and were also assayed for apoptosis‐related protein activation including caspase‐3, poly‐ACP‐ribose polymerase (PARP), the Bcl‐2 family (Bcl‐2, Bak) and p53 by means of immunoblot analysis. PARP, Bak and p53 were expressed substantially more in the sperm cells of the varicocele group when compared with the normal group ( P < 0.05). The expression of caspase‐3 and Bcl‐2 did not appear to differ between these two study groups. An increased expression of PARP, Bak and p53 for varicocele‐afflicted individuals indicated an increased participation by these agents in the regulating of apoptosis in the ejaculated semen from patients with varicocele, suggesting that certain protein‐development apoptotic mechanisms might originate in the cytoplasmic droplet or within mitochondria of spermatocytes and then might function within the nucleus of the cell.