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An association between sperm PLCζ levels and varicocele?

  • Gamete Biology
  • Published:
Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

We aimed to compare the expression of phospholipase C ζ (PLCζ), as one of the main sperm factors involved in oocyte activation, at both RNA and protein levels in fertile men and those with varicocele.

Methods

This study included 35 individuals with male factor infertility presenting primary infertility with grade II and III unilateral varicocele and 20 fertile men without varicocele. Semen parameters were assessed according to WHO 2010. Sperm DNA fragmentation, relative expression of PLCζ at messenger RNA, and protein levels were evaluated by sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA), real-time PCR, and Western blot analysis, respectively.

Results

The results of this study reveal that the mean relative expression of PLCζ was significantly lower in individuals with varicocele compared to fertile men at both transcription and translation levels. In addition, the percentage of DNA fragmentation was significantly higher in infertile men with varicocele compared to fertile men.

Conclusions

The findings of the present study illustrate that one of the etiologies of reduced fertility associated with varicocele is the low expression of PLCζ. This effect could subsequently reduce the sperm ability to induce oocyte activation. Therefore, these results hold promise to modify our understanding of reproductive physiology of varicocele state.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the Royan Institute, and we would like to express our gratitude to the staff members of Isfahan Fertility and Infertility for their full support.

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Author notes

    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Department of Reproductive Biotechnology, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Biotechnology, ACECR, Isfahan, Iran

      Elham Janghorban-Laricheh, Nasim Ghazavi-Khorasgani, Marziyeh Tavalaee & Mohammad H. Nasr- Esfahani

    2. Department of Biology, Nourdanesh Institute of Higher Education, Meymeh, Isfahan, Iran

      Elham Janghorban-Laricheh, Nasim Ghazavi-Khorasgani & Dina Zohrabi

    3. Isfahan Fertility and Infertility Center, Isfahan, Iran

      Homayon Abbasi & Mohammad H. Nasr- Esfahani

    Authors
    1. Elham Janghorban-Laricheh
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    2. Nasim Ghazavi-Khorasgani
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    3. Marziyeh Tavalaee
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    4. Dina Zohrabi
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    5. Homayon Abbasi
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    6. Mohammad H. Nasr- Esfahani
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    Corresponding author

    Correspondence to Mohammad H. Nasr- Esfahani.

    Ethics declarations

    This study received the approval of the Institutional Review Board of Royan Institute. Informed written consent was obtained from each participant.

    Conflict of interest

    The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

    Funding

    This study was supported by the Royan Institute and Isfahan fertility.

    Additional information

    Capsule

    The findings of the present study illustrate that one of the etiologies of reduced fertility associated with varicocele is the low expression of PLCζ.

    Elham Janghorban-Laricheh and Nasim Ghazavi-Khorasgani contributed equally to this work.

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    Janghorban-Laricheh, E., Ghazavi-Khorasgani, N., Tavalaee, M. et al. An association between sperm PLCζ levels and varicocele?. J Assist Reprod Genet 33, 1649–1655 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-016-0802-5

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    • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-016-0802-5

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