title: [CatSper1 protein and idiopathic asthenozoospermia].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the role of the cation channel of sperm 1 (CatSper1) protein in the pathogenesis of idiopathic asthenozoospermia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sperm samples from patients with idiopathic asthenozoospermia were separated by Percoll discontinuous density gradients, and the distribution and expression of the CatSper1 protein were determined by immunocytochemistry. Western blotting was used to detect the different expressions of CatSper1 in the ejaculated sperm from the normal control, mild asthenozoospermia, moderate asthenozoospermia and severe asthenozoospermia groups, followed by statistical analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The expression of CatSper1, located in the principle piece of the sperm tail, was reduced significantly in the samples from the idiopathic asthenozoospermia patients as compared with the normal controls (t = 2.188, P = 0.042). The relative contents of the CatSper1 protein in the sperm of the control, mild asthenozoospermia, moderate asthenozoospermia and severe asthenozoospermia groups were 0.806 +/- 0.266, 0.669 +/- 0.207, 0.505 +/- 0.214 and 0.295 +/- 0.162, respectively, significantly decreased in the asthenozoospermia patients in comparison with the normal controls (P <0.05). There was a positive correlation between the percentage of progressively motile sperm and the relative content of the CatSper1 protein (r = 0.633, P = 0.000).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The decreased or abnormal expression of the CatSper1 protein may be a factor involved in the pathogenesis of idiopathic asthenozoospermia.
authors.affiliation: Human Sperm Bank, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China.
authors.forename: Wen-bin
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Yu-shan
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiao-xia
authors.initials: XX
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Quan-xian
authors.initials: QX
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xue-min
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Xian-feng
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Zhou-hui
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D053627:Asthenozoospermia / Q000378:metabolism*; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000378:metabolism*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C438823:CATSPER1 protein, human; D015220:Calcium Channels