title: Blockade of epithelial sodium channels improves sperm motility in asthenospermia patients.
abstract: Epithelial Na(+) channels (ENaCs) are ion channels that play important roles in physiology as well as pathophysiology. Inhibiting ENaCs using amiloride and its derivatives has been suggested in treatment of cardiovascular disease and hypertension. By immunoblotting, we demonstrated the presence of ENaC-alpha protein in the flagellar midpiece of both rat and human sperm. Immunohistochemistry analyses in rat testis localized ENaC-alpha expressed in the Leydig cell, Sertoli cell, Ap spermatogonium, spermatocyte, spermatid and residual body. Importantly, using computer-assisted sperm motility analysis, we first observed that EIPA [5-(N-ethyl-N-isopropyl)-amiloride hydrochloride] inhibition of ENaCs, possibly including ENaC-alpha and ENaC-delta, significantly improved the sperm motility in healthy donors by 14.23% (mean +/- SEM, 68.75 +/- 9.76% vs. 78.53 +/- 6.20%, p < 0.001) and in asthenospermia patients by 115.89% from 9.50 +/- 6.11% to 20.51 +/- 12.13% (mean +/- SEM, p < 0.001). The improved sperm motility by EIPA has important clinical implications in the treatment of asthenospermia and certainly warrants further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Family Planning Research Institute, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Xiang-Bin
authors.initials: XB
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.forename: Hua-Gang
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Hong-Gang
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Cheng-Liang
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Xiong
mesh_terms: D000584:Amiloride / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D053627:Asthenozoospermia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D015153:Blotting, Western; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D062686:Epithelial Sodium Channel Blockers; D053503:Epithelial Sodium Channels / Q000378:metabolism; D005303:Fertility Agents, Male / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D026941:Sodium Channel Blockers / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000187:drug effects*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D013737:Testis / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D062686:Epithelial Sodium Channel Blockers; D053503:Epithelial Sodium Channels; D005303:Fertility Agents, Male; C507045:SCNN1A protein, human; C507051:SCNN1D protein, human; C440894:Scnn1a protein, rat; D026941:Sodium Channel Blockers; D000584:Amiloride; C039614:ethylisopropylamiloride