title: Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator is correlated closely with sperm progressive motility and normal morphology in healthy and fertile men with normal sperm parameters.
abstract: Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) has been demonstrated to be expressed in mature spermatozoa and correlated with sperm quality. Sperm CFTR expression in fertile men is higher than that in infertile men suffering from teratospermia, asthenoteratospermia, asthenospermia and oligospermia, but it is unknown whether CFTR is correlated with sperm parameters when sperm parameters are normal. In this study, 282 healthy and fertile men with normal semen parameters were classified into three age groups, group (I): age group of 20-29 years (98 cases, 27.1 ± 6.2), group (II): age group of 30-39 years (142 cases, 33.7 ± 2.6) and group (III): age group of more than or equal to 40 years (42 cases, 44.1 ± 4.6). Sperm concentration, total count and progressive motility were analysed by computer-assisted sperm analysis. Sperm morphology was analysed by modified Papanicolaou staining. Sperm CFTR expression was conducted by indirect immunofluorescence staining. There was a significant positive correlation (P < 0.001) between CFTR expression and sperm progressive motility (r = 0.221) and normal morphology (r = 0.202), but there were no correlations between sperm CFTR expression and semen volume, sperm concentration, sperm total count as well as male age (P > 0.05). Our findings show that CFTR expression is associated with sperm progressive motility and normal morphology in healthy and fertile men with normal sperm parameters, but not associated with the number of spermatozoa and male age.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Sir Run Run Shaw Institute of Clinical Medicine of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
authors.forename: L-Y
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: J-J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Shan
authors.forename: X-M
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.forename: H-Y
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: L-Y
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Q-X
authors.initials: QX
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: S-Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D019005:Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator / Q000378:metabolism*; D005298:Fertility; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C505032:CFTR protein, human; D019005:Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator
keywords: Age; cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator; human spermatozoa; morphology; motility