ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare the expression of DKKL1 in ejaculated spermatozoa of normal fertile men and men with asthenospermia and investigate the role of DKKL1 in the pathogenesis of asthenospermia.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The characteristics of semen samples collected from normal fertile men and men with asthenospermia were analyzed using computer-assisted sperm analysis according to WHO criteria. The ejaculated sperms were isolated by Percoll discontinuous density gradients to detect the expression of DKKL1 mRNA and protein using real-time PCR and Western blotting.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The expression of DKKL1 mRNA was significantly down-regulated by 11.1 times in asthenospermic men as compared with that in normal fertile men (P<0.01). Western blotting showed that the expression of DKKL1 protein was down-regulated by 2.4 times in asthenospermic men compared to normal fertile men.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The expression of DKKL1, which may play an important role in sperm motility,is significantly decreased in ejaculated spermatozoa of men with asthenospermia.</p>