Mol. Hum. Reprod. Advance Access originally published online on October 1, 2004
Molecular Human Reproduction 2004 10(11):825-834; doi:10.1093/molehr/gah099
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Somatic cell apoptosis markers and pathways in human ejaculated sperm: potential utility as indicators of sperm quality
1The Jones Institute for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, Virginia and 2Center for Pediatric Research and Department of Physiological Sciences, Eastern Virginia Medical School and the Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters, Norfolk, Virginia, USA
3 To whom correspondence should be addressed at: Eastern Virginia Medical School, Center for Pediatric Research, 855 W. Brambleton Ave. Norfolk, VA 23510, USA. Email: sbeebe{at}chkd.com
In this study we extended earlier work to determine whether sperm respond to somatic cell apoptotic stimuli and whether apoptotic phenotypes are significant indicators of human sperm quality. We evaluated ejaculated sperm from fertile donors and subfertile patients following purification of fractions of high and low motility. In unstimulated conditions, caspase enzymatic activity was higher in motile fractions from subfertile patients than in donors, and was higher in low motility fractions from both groups. Staurosporine, but not a Fas ligand or H2O2, significantly increased caspase activity, but only in high motility fractions. Procaspase-3, -7 and -9 and low levels of active caspase-3, -7 and -9 were identified by immunoblot analysis. Apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) was present in all samples but poly ADP-ribose polymerase-1 (PARP-1) was not detected. Phosphatidylserine translocation was significantly increased only with H2O2 treatment. In ejaculates of both subfertile and fertile men, we demonstrated the presence and activation of several proteins that are key constituents of apoptosis-related pathways in somatic cells, which may serve as markers for sperm quality.
Key words: caspase activity/apoptosis/apoptosis-inducing factor/infertility/phosphatidylserine translocation/sperm
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  S. Grunewald, C. Kriegel, T. Baumann, H.-J. Glander, and U. Paasch Interactions between apoptotic signal transduction and capacitation in human spermatozoa Hum. Reprod., September 1, 2009; 24(9): 2071 - 2078. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. A. Espinoza, U. Paasch, and J. V. Villegas Mitochondrial membrane potential disruption pattern in human sperm Hum. Reprod., September 1, 2009; 24(9): 2079 - 2085. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
L.K. Thomson, S.D. Fleming, R.J. Aitken, G.N. De Iuliis, J.-A. Zieschang, and A.M. Clark Cryopreservation-induced human sperm DNA damage is predominantly mediated by oxidative stress rather than apoptosis Hum. Reprod., September 1, 2009; 24(9): 2061 - 2070. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. Perticarari, G. Ricci, R. Boscolo, M. De Santis, G. Pagnini, M. Martinelli, and G. Presani Fas receptor is not present on ejaculated human sperm Hum. Reprod., June 1, 2008; 23(6): 1271 - 1279. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 T. M. Said, A. Agarwal, M. Zborowski, S. Grunewald, H.-J. Glander, and U. Paasch Utility of Magnetic Cell Separation as a Molecular Sperm Preparation Technique J Androl, March 1, 2008; 29(2): 134 - 142. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 F. Tramontano, M. Malanga, and P. Quesada Differential contribution of poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase-1 and -2 (PARP-1 and -2) to the poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation reaction in rat primary spermatocytes Mol. Hum. Reprod., November 1, 2007; 13(11): 821 - 828. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
N. Aziz, T. Said, U. Paasch, and A. Agarwal The relationship between human sperm apoptosis, morphology and the sperm deformity index Hum. Reprod., May 1, 2007; 22(5): 1413 - 1419. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
E. Marti, R. Perez-Pe, T. Muino-Blanco, and J. A. Cebrian-Perez Comparative Study of Four Different Sperm Washing Methods Using Apoptotic Markers in Ram Spermatozoa J Androl, November 1, 2006; 27(6): 746 - 753. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 T. Said, A. Agarwal, S. Grunewald, M. Rasch, T. Baumann, C. Kriegel, L. Li, H.-J. Glander, A. J. Thomas Jr., and U. Paasch Selection of Nonapoptotic Spermatozoa As a New Tool for Enhancing Assisted Reproduction Outcomes: An In Vitro Model Biol Reprod, March 1, 2006; 74(3): 530 - 537. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|