ABSTRACT
Background: The majority of male patients with spinal cord injury [SCI] suffer from infertility. Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptors NOD-like receptors [NLRs] are a kind of receptors that corporate in the inflammasome complex. Recent studies have introduced the inflammasome as the responsible agent for secreting cytokines in semen. Reactive oxygen species [ROS] is one of the elements that trigger inflammasome activation. Genital infections in SCI can lead to ROS generation. We investigated the relation between lipid peroxidation and inflammasome complex activity in testicular tissue of SCI rats
Methods: Adult male rats [n=20], weighting 200- 250 g, were included and divided into four groups: three experimental groups, including SCI1, SCI3, and SCI7, i.e. the rats were subjected to SCI procedure and sacrificed after one, three, and seven days, respectively and a control group. We performed a moderate, midline spinal contusion injury at thoracic level 10. The animals were anesthetized, and testes were collected for measurement of gene expression by real-time PCR. Caudal parts of epididymis were collected for malondialdehyde [MDA] measurement
Results: No NLRP1a mRNA overexpression was seen in the testes of control and SCI groups. After seven days from SCI surgery, NLRP3 mRNA expression was significantly increased in SCI7 animals [p
Conclusion: NLRP3 overexpression occurs due to the increased ROS production in testis tissue of SCI rats
Subject(s)
Animals, Laboratory , Infertility , Lipid Peroxidation/genetics , NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein , Reactive Oxygen Species , Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction , Gene Expression , Testis , Rats, WistarABSTRACT
Background: Spinal cord injury [SCI] causes infertility in male patients through erectile dys-function, ejaculatory dysfunction, semen and hormone abnormalities. Oxidative stress [OS] is involved in poor semen quality and subsequent infertility in males with SCI. The aim of this study is to examine the effects of SCI on the level of testosterone hormone
Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, we evaluated the effects of exogenous testosterone on the activity of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase [SOD] and glutathione peroxidase [GPx] as well as the levels of malondialdehyde [MDA] and protein carbonylation [PCO], as markers of OS, in 10 groups of SCI mice. Total antioxidant capacity [TAC] was determined using the 2,29-azinobis-[3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid] [ABTS] radical cation assay
Results: Exogenous testosterone administration in mice with SCI significantly reduced SOD and GPx enzyme activities and MDA level. There was no significant decrease in PCO content. In addition, TAC remarkably increased in the sham and SCI groups not treated with testosterone but remained unchanged in all other experimental groups. Exogenous testosterone also reduced serum testosterone levels in all groups except the positive control group
Conclusion: Our cumulative data indicated that SCI could cause sterility by disturbing the plasmatic testosterone balance. The normal level of endogenous testosterone was not completely restored by exogenous testosterone administration
Subject(s)
Animals, Laboratory , Oxidative Stress , Spinal Cord Injuries , Infertility , Mice , Reactive Oxygen SpeciesABSTRACT
Cytomegalovirus [CMV] is a prevalent infection in humans. Recent studies have shown the role of CMV infection in male infertility disorder. Here we aimed to study the role of CMV infection in men with idiopathic infertility. We performed a case-control study of CMV serology in 200 patients attending male infertility clinic of a university hospital. There were 154 men diagnosed with infertility and 46 men without infertility. The patients were asked to donate their sperm, blood, and urine. The presence of CMV infection was studied using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. CMV infection was present in 25 of all the studied participants. Controls had a higher sperm count and sperm motility and sperm morphology compared to patients. There were no significant differences in the studied variables between those with and without CMV infection, nor in patients, neither in controls. Sperm morphology was negatively correlated with cigarette smoking [r=-0.15; p<0.03]. Even though the prevalence of CMV infection was higher in patients with infertility in control and patient [5/46 vs. 20/154] respectively, this was not statistically significant. We did not show a significant role for CMV infection in male infertility. Based on the previous studies, it could be assumed that CMV infection is an important part of the male infertility and its treatment would improve the sperm quality, however this was not confirmed by the present study