Study of the effect of varicocelectomy on sperm proteins expression in patients with varicocele and poor sperm quality by using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis.
OBJECTIVE
To compare proteomic profiles of spermatozoa from patients with varicocele and poor sperm quality before and after varicocelectomy.


METHODS
This work was designed as a prospective and observational study. The study was based on 20 men with varicocele grade 3 and poor sperm quality undergoing varicocelectomy at the Fertility Unit of Royan institute in 2009. Two semen samples were collected, one before varicocelectomy and the other after surgery. Protein separation was done by two-dimensional protein electrophoresis, and analyzed by gel densitometry and mass spectrometry. Differential sperm protein expression levels were measured by gel densitometry.


RESULTS
Comparison of the sperm parameters showed that sperm motility and concentration were increased after varicocelectomy. At the level of protein, a total of 3 protein spots were identified whose expression was significantly lower in sperm samples before varicocelectomy compared with after surgery including heat shock protein A5 (HSPA5), superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) and δ-subunit of the catalytic core of mitochondrial adenosine triphosphate synthase (ATP5D).


CONCLUSIONS
High grade varicocoele affects sperm protein expression presumably because of increasing testicular temperature. These proteins play essential roles in sperm production, DNA integrity protection, and sperm motility. This novel study demonstrates that varicocelectomy can improve both sperm quality and proteins expression.
Department of Andrology at Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
Hani
H
Hosseinifar
Marjan
M
Sabbaghian
Davood
D
Nasrabadi
Tahereh
T
Modarresi
Ahmad Vosough Taqi
AV
Dizaj
Hamid
H
Gourabi
Mohmmad Ali Sadighi
MA
Gilani
D015180:Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional; D000091342:Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperone BiP; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D040901:Proteomics; D012661:Semen / Q000378:metabolism; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000378:metabolism*; D014646:Varicocele / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery