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Serum interleukin-38 and -41 levels as candidate biomarkers in male infertility. Immunol Lett 2023; 255:47-53. [PMID: 36870420 DOI: 10.1016/j.imlet.2023.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 02/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Interleukin (IL)-38 and IL-41 are novel cytokines, but their role in male infertility (MI) is unknown. The purpose of this study was to measure the levels of serum IL-38 and IL-41 in patients with MI and correlate these levels with semen indexes. METHODS Eighty-two patients with MI and 45 healthy controls (HC) were recruited for this study. Semen parameters were detected using computer-aided sperm analysis, Papanicolaou staining, ELISA, flow cytometry, peroxidase staining and enzyme methods. Serum IL-38 and IL-41 levels were determined by ELISA. RESULTS Serum IL-38 levels were decreased (P < 0.01) in patients with MI compared with HC. Serum IL-41 levels were significantly higher in patients with MI than in HC (P < 0.0001). In patients with MI, serum IL-38 levels were positively correlated with semen white blood cell counts (r = 0.29, P = 0.009), and there was a positive correlation between semen white blood cell counts and sperm concentration (r = 0.28, P = 0.0100) and seminal plasma elastase (r = 0.67, P < 0.0001). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the area under the curve of IL-38 for diagnosing MI was 0.5637 (P > 0.05), and the area under the curve of IL-41 for diagnosing MI was 0.7646 (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS Serum IL-38 levels were significantly lower, and serum IL-41 levels were higher in patients with MI. These results suggest that IL-38 and IL-41 may be novel biomarkers for the diagnosis of MI.
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Liang G, Wang Q, Zhang G, Li Z, Wang Q. Differentially expressed miRNAs and potential therapeutic targets for asthenospermia. Andrologia 2021; 54:e14265. [PMID: 34657331 DOI: 10.1111/and.14265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Asthenozoospermia is detected in 40% of infertile men, and characterised by low sperm motility. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play essential roles in spermatogenesis, but little is known regarding the function of seminal plasma miRNAs in asthenozoospermia. In this study, we collected seminal plasma samples from patients with asthenospermia and healthy men and employed high-throughput sequence technology to identify differentially expressed miRNAs. Thirteen altered miRNAs were confirmed by qRT-PCR. Six of these miRNAs were upregulated, and seven were downregulated. Five of the miRNAs (hsa-miR-34c-5p, hsa-miR-34b-5p, hsa-miR-146b-5p, hsa-miR-449a and has-miR-765) had been characterised previously, and eight of the others (miR-5000-3p, miR-4289, miR-6514-3p, miR-6882-5p and miR-6739-5p, miR-135a-5p, miR-509-3p and miR-196b-5p) were identified in asthenospermia for the first time in this study. These miRNAs were significantly associated with PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, HIF-1 signaling pathway and FoxO signaling pathway. The identified dysregulated miRNA may be the key to the development of new and enhanced diagnosis and prognosis technologies for asthenospermia, and may also provide new therapeutic possibilities in the field of personalised medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaozhao Liang
- Urological Disease Center of Shenzhen Bao'an People's Hospital Group, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Qianqian Wang
- Urological Disease Center of Shenzhen Bao'an People's Hospital Group, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Guohui Zhang
- Department of Urology, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Zhongxiang Li
- Shenzhen Bao'an Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Qing Wang
- Urological Disease Center of Shenzhen Bao'an People's Hospital Group, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
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Deciphering the Therapeutic Mechanisms of Wuzi Ershen Decoction in Treating Oligoasthenozoospermia through the Network Pharmacology Approach. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2021; 2021:5591844. [PMID: 34394386 PMCID: PMC8363445 DOI: 10.1155/2021/5591844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Background Infertility affects approximately 15% of couples around the world, and male factors are accounted for 40–50%. Oligoasthenozoospermia is the most common reason for male infertility. Unfortunately, effective drug therapy is still lacking except for assisted reproductive technology (ART). Previous researchers found that Wuzi Ershen decoction (WZESD) can increase sperm count, enhance sperm vitality, and improve semen quality. However, the pharmacological mechanisms remain unclear. Methods In this study, we screened compounds and predicted the targets of WZESD based on the TCMSP and BATMAN-TCM database combined with literature searching in the PubMed database. We obtained proteins related to oligoasthenozoospermia through GeneCards and submitted them to STRING to obtain the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. Potential targets of WZESD were mapped to the network, and the hub targets were screened by topology. We used online platform Metascape and Enrichr for GO and KEGG enrichment analyses. AutoDock Vina was utilized for further verification of the binding mode between compounds and targets. Results Totally, 276 bioactive compounds were obtained and targeted 681 proteins. 446 oligoasthenozoospermia disease-specific proteins were acquired, and further bioinformatics analysis found that they were mainly involved in the formation of gametes, meiosis, and sperm differentiation. Protein interaction network analysis revealed that target proteins of WZESD were associated with oligoasthenozoospermia disease-specific proteins. The 79 targets of disease-specific proteins, which were anchored by WZESD, mainly participate in the cellular response to the organic cyclic compound, regulation of the apoptotic process, nitricoxide biosynthetic and metabolic process, oxidative stress, and protein phosphorylation regulation, which are the causes for oligoasthenozoospermia. Molecular docking simulation further validated that bioactive compounds originated from WZESD with targeted proteins showed high binding efficiency. Conclusions This study uncovers the therapeutic mechanisms of WZESD for oligoasthenozoospermia treatment from the perspective of network pharmacology and may provide a valuable reference for further experimental research studies and clinical applications.
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Freitas MJ, Silva JV, Brothag C, Regadas-Correia B, Fardilha M, Vijayaraghavan S. Isoform-specific GSK3A activity is negatively correlated with human sperm motility. Mol Hum Reprod 2020; 25:171-183. [PMID: 30824926 DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gaz009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2018] [Revised: 01/29/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In mouse and bovine sperm, GSK3 activity is inversely proportional to motility. Targeted disruption of the GSK3A gene in testis results in normal spermatogenesis, but mature sperm present a reduced motility, rendering male mice infertile. On the other hand, GSK3B testis-specific KO is fertile. Yet in human sperm, an isoform-specific correlation between GSK3A and sperm motility was never established. In order to analyze GSK3 function in human sperm motility, normospermic and asthenozoospermic samples from adult males were used to correlate GSK3 expression and activity levels with human sperm motility profiles. Moreover, testicular and sperm GSK3 interactomes were identified using a yeast two-hybrid screen and coimmunoprecipitation, respectively. An extensive in-silico analysis of the GSK3 interactome was performed. The results proved that inhibited GSK3A (serine phosphorylated) presents a significant strong positive correlation (r = 0.822, P = 0.023) with the percentage of progressive human sperm, whereas inhibited GSK3B is not significantly correlated with sperm motility (r = 0.577, P = 0.175). The importance of GSK3 in human sperm motility was further reinforced by in-silico analysis of the GSK3 interactome, which revealed a high level of involvement of GSK3 interactors in sperm motility-related functions. The limitation of techniques used for GSK3 interactome identification can be a drawback, since none completely mimics the physiological environment. Our findings prove that human sperm motility relies on isoform-specific functions of GSK3A within this cell. Given the reported relevance of GSK3 protein-protein interactions in sperm motility, we hypothesized that they stand as potential targets for male contraceptive strategies based on sperm motility modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- M J Freitas
- Signal Transduction Laboratory, Institute for Research in Biomedicine-iBiMED, Medical Sciences Department, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - J V Silva
- Signal Transduction Laboratory, Institute for Research in Biomedicine-iBiMED, Medical Sciences Department, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal.,Reproductive Genetics & Embryo-fetal Development Group, Institute for Innovation and Health Research (I3S), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Department of Microscopy, Laboratory of Cell Biology, and Unit for Multidisciplinary Research in Biomedicine (UMIB), Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - C Brothag
- Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA
| | - B Regadas-Correia
- CNC.IBILI-Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,CIBIT-Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Department Quantitative Methods and Information and Management Systems, Coimbra Business School, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - M Fardilha
- Signal Transduction Laboratory, Institute for Research in Biomedicine-iBiMED, Medical Sciences Department, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
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Wang Q, Lu D, Fan L, Li Y, Liu Y, Yu H, Wang H, Liu J, Sun G. COX-2 induces apoptosis-resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma cells via the HIF-1α/PKM2 pathway. Int J Mol Med 2019; 43:475-488. [PMID: 30365092 DOI: 10.3892/ijmm.2018.3936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2018] [Accepted: 08/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The pyruvate kinase M2 isoform (PKM2) is a key component of aerobic glycolysis and has been reported to regulate apoptosis. However, it is unclear whether PKM2 is involved in cyclooxygenase‑2 (COX‑2) induced apoptosis‑resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. In the present study, it was observed that COX‑2 and PKM2 were significantly elevated in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues compared with adjacent liver tissues (P<0.05). Furthermore, their expression was positively associated with worse clinicopathological characteristics, which indicates poor prognosis in patients with HCC. COX‑2 knockdown significantly reduced the expression of PKM2 and hypoxia inducible factor‑1α (HIF‑1α) at the mRNA and protein levels in addition to inhibiting proliferation (P<0.05), whereas apoptosis was notably increased. Furthermore, HIF‑1α and PKM2‑knockdown increased cell apoptosis without inhibiting COX‑2 expression. PKM2 inhibition did not have a marked effect on COX‑2 and HIF‑1α expression. In conclusion, the results of the present study suggested that HIF‑1α/PKM2 pathway‑associated metabolic changes may facilitate COX‑2‑induced apoptosis resistance in HCC cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Wang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, P.R. China
| | - Donghui Lu
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, P.R. China
| | - Lulu Fan
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, P.R. China
| | - Yuhuan Li
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, P.R. China
| | - Yu Liu
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, P.R. China
| | - Hanqing Yu
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, P.R. China
| | - Hua Wang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, P.R. China
| | - Jiatao Liu
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, P.R. China
| | - Guoping Sun
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, P.R. China
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Ghandehari-Alavijeh R, Zohrabi D, Tavalaee M, Nasr-Esfahani MH. Association between expression of TNF-α, P53 and HIF1α with asthenozoospermia. HUM FERTIL 2018; 22:145-151. [PMID: 30222022 DOI: 10.1080/14647273.2018.1493750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Reduced sperm motility (asthenozoospermia) accounts for a significant percentage of male infertility and numerous factors have been suggested to explain this phenomenon among which hypoxic and inflammatory markers are the least studied. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the main molecular markers involved in hypoxia (P53 and HIF-1α) and inflammation (TNF-α) pathways in infertile men with asthenozoospermia. Expression of these markers were assessed by qRT-PCR, and analysis of data show that mean of hypoxia markers (P53, HIF-1α) and also TNF- α were significantly higher in infertile men with asthenozoospermia compared to fertile men (p < 0.05). Unlike TNF-α, significant negative correlations were observed between expression of P53 (r = -0.568; p = 0.002) and HIF-1α (r = -0.403; p = 0.046) with sperm motility. In addition, a significant negative correlation was observed between expression of P53 with sperm concentration (r = -0.576; p < 0.001). In addition, a significant positive correlation was observed between hypoxia markers (P53, HIF-1α) and TNF-α (p < 0.01). However, no significant relation was observed between TNF-α and semen parameters. Taken together, the results of this study suggest the involvement of hypoxia pathway is more pronounced than the inflammatory pathway in asthenozoospermia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rana Ghandehari-Alavijeh
- a Department of Reproductive Biotechnology , Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Biotechnology, ACECR , Isfahan , Iran
| | - Dina Zohrabi
- b Department of Biology, Faculty of Science , NourDanesh Institute of Higher Education , Isfahan , Iran
| | - Marziyeh Tavalaee
- a Department of Reproductive Biotechnology , Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Biotechnology, ACECR , Isfahan , Iran
| | - Mohammad Hossein Nasr-Esfahani
- a Department of Reproductive Biotechnology , Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Biotechnology, ACECR , Isfahan , Iran.,c Isfahan Fertility and Infertility Center , Isfahan , Iran
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Zhou J, Qian CY, Tong RQ, Wang B, Chen XL, Zhuang YY, Xia F, He Q, Lv JX. Hypoxia induces apoptosis of mouse spermatocyte GC-2 cells through activation of autophagy. Cell Biol Int 2018; 42:1124-1131. [PMID: 29660204 DOI: 10.1002/cbin.10971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2018] [Accepted: 04/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jian Zhou
- Reproductive Medicine Center; The First Affiliated Hospital of SooChow University; SuZhou 215006 China
| | - Chun-Ya Qian
- Department of Urology; The First Affiliated Hospital of SooChow University; SuZhou 215006 China
| | - Rui-Qing Tong
- Reproductive Medicine Center; The First Affiliated Hospital of SooChow University; SuZhou 215006 China
| | - Bin Wang
- Department of Urology; The First Affiliated Hospital of SooChow University; SuZhou 215006 China
| | - Xue-Lei Chen
- Department of Urology; The First Affiliated Hospital of SooChow University; SuZhou 215006 China
| | - Yan-Yan Zhuang
- Reproductive Medicine Center; The First Affiliated Hospital of SooChow University; SuZhou 215006 China
| | - Fei Xia
- Reproductive Medicine Center; The First Affiliated Hospital of SooChow University; SuZhou 215006 China
| | - Qi He
- Reproductive Medicine Center; The First Affiliated Hospital of SooChow University; SuZhou 215006 China
| | - Jin-Xing Lv
- Reproductive Medicine Center; The First Affiliated Hospital of SooChow University; SuZhou 215006 China
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Yin J, Ni B, Liao WG, Gao YQ. Hypoxia-induced apoptosis of mouse spermatocytes is mediated by HIF-1α through a death receptor pathway and a mitochondrial pathway. J Cell Physiol 2017; 233:1146-1155. [PMID: 28444885 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.25974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2016] [Accepted: 04/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Hypoxia in vivo induces oligozoospermia, azoospermia, and degeneration of the germinal epithelium, but the underlying molecular mechanism of this induction is not fully clarified. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of the death receptor pathway and the mitochondrial pathway in hypoxia-induced apoptosis of mouse GC-2spd (GC-2) cells and the relationship between HIF-1α and apoptosis of GC-2 cells induced by hypoxia. GC-2 cells were subjected to 1% oxygen for 48 hr. Apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry, TUNEL staining, LDH, caspase-3/8/9 in the absence and presence of HIF-1α siRNA. The protein levels of apoptosis-related markers were determined by Western blot in the presence and absence of HIF-1α siRNA. Mitochondrial transmembrane potential change was observed by in situ JC-1 staining. Cell viability was assessed upon treatment of caspase-8 and 9 inhibitors. The results indicated that hypoxia at 1% oxygen for 48 hr induced apoptosis of GC-2 cells. A prolonged exposure of GC-2 cells to hypoxic conditions caused downregulation of c-FLIP, Dc R2 and Bcl-2 and upregulation of DR5 , TRAIL, Fas, p53, and Bax, with an overproduction of caspase-3/8/9. Moreover, hypoxia at this level had an effect on mitochondrial depolarization. In addition, specific inhibitors of caspase-8/9 partially suppressed hypoxia-induced GC-2 cell apoptosis, and the anti-apoptotic effects of the caspase inhibitors were additive. Of note, HIF-1α knockdown attenuated hypoxia and induced apoptosis of GC-2 cells. In conclusion, our data suggest that the death receptor pathway and mitochondrial pathway, which are likely mediated by HIF-1α, contribute to hypoxia-induced GC-2 cell apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Yin
- Department of Pathophysiology and High Altitude Pathology/Key Laboratory of High Altitude Environment Medicine (Third Military Medical University), Ministry of Education/Key Laboratory of High Altitude Medicine, College of High Altitude Military Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, PR China
| | - Bing Ni
- Department of Pathophysiology and High Altitude Pathology/Key Laboratory of High Altitude Environment Medicine (Third Military Medical University), Ministry of Education/Key Laboratory of High Altitude Medicine, College of High Altitude Military Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, PR China
| | - Wei-Gong Liao
- Department of Pathophysiology and High Altitude Pathology/Key Laboratory of High Altitude Environment Medicine (Third Military Medical University), Ministry of Education/Key Laboratory of High Altitude Medicine, College of High Altitude Military Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, PR China
| | - Yu-Qi Gao
- Institute of Medicine and Hygienic Equipment for High Altitude Region/Key Laboratory of High Altitude Environment Medicine (Third Military Medical University), Ministry of Education/Key Laboratory of High Altitude Medicine, College of High Altitude Military Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, PR China
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Jodar M, Soler-Ventura A, Oliva R. Semen proteomics and male infertility. J Proteomics 2017; 162:125-134. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2016.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2016] [Revised: 07/08/2016] [Accepted: 08/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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The Histochemistry and Cell Biology pandect: the year 2014 in review. Histochem Cell Biol 2015; 143:339-68. [PMID: 25744491 DOI: 10.1007/s00418-015-1313-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/16/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
This review encompasses a brief synopsis of the articles published in 2014 in Histochemistry and Cell Biology. Out of the total of 12 issues published in 2014, two special issues were devoted to "Single-Molecule Super-Resolution Microscopy." The present review is divided into 11 categories, providing an easy format for readers to quickly peruse topics of particular interest to them.
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