The pentose phosphate pathway plays an essential role in supporting human sperm capacitation.
In swim-up-selected spermatozoa of 38 normozoospermic patients, capacitated spermatozoa exhibited enhanced pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) activity and increased expression of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD). The G6PD inhibitor DHEA and the inhibitors of NADPH oxidase apocynin and diphenylene iodonium (DPI) prevented both superoxide generation and capacitation in human spermatozoa, but whereas DPI and DHEA inhibited PPP, apocynin did not influence it, suggesting that PPP activation during capacitation is not a response to increased oxidative stress but exerts a role by supplying reducing equivalents to oxygen.
Miraglia
Erica
E
Department of Genetics, Biology, and Biochemistry, University of Torino, 10126 Torino, Italy.
Lussiana
Cristina
C
Viarisio
Daniele
D
Racca
Cinzia
C
Cipriani
Alessia
A
Gazzano
Elena
E
Bosia
Amalia
A
Revelli
Alberto
A
Ghigo
Dario
D
D000098:Acetophenones / Q000494:pharmacology; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D019298:Glucose-6-Phosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D005954:Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019255:NADPH Oxidases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D009861:Onium Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology; D010427:Pentose Phosphate Pathway / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D055101:Semen Analysis; D013075:Sperm Capacitation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology
D000098:Acetophenones; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D009861:Onium Compounds; D019298:Glucose-6-Phosphate; C007517:diphenyleneiodonium; C056165:acetovanillone; D005954:Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase; D019255:NADPH Oxidases