title: Peptides in seminal fluid and their role in infertility: a potential role for opiorphin inhibition of neutral endopeptidase activity as a clinically relevant modulator of sperm motility: a review.
abstract: Infertility is a devastating medical condition that adversely affects emotional health and well-being of couples who desire pregnancy and parenthood. The overall demographic data suggest that the indication for more than one-third of assisted reproductive technology cycles performed in the United States includes male factor infertility. There is increasing recognition of the role that peptides present in seminal plasma have in determining sperm motility. Several recent studies suggest that peptidases, such as neutral endopeptidase (NEP) and aminopeptidase N (APN), impose significant adverse effects on sperm motility. Interestingly, several recent studies demonstrate that there is an endogenous NEP/APN inhibitor peptide called opiorphin in human seminal plasma. Our pilot studies suggest opiorphin promotes sperm motility and may positively influence sperm motility parameters in some cases of males infertility characterized by asthenozoospermia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Women's Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA Montefiore Medical Center Institute for Reproductive Medicine and Health, Hartsdale, NY, USA jbosler@montefiore.org.
authors.forename: Jayme S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Bosler
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology and Physiology and Biophysics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Kelvin P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Women's Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA Montefiore Medical Center Institute for Reproductive Medicine and Health, Hartsdale, NY, USA Dominick Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Genevieve S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Neal-Perry
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005298:Fertility; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D015260:Neprilysin / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D053491:Proteinase Inhibitory Proteins, Secretory / Q000378:metabolism*; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D012661:Semen / Q000378:metabolism*; D029589:Seminal Plasma Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000201:enzymology*
chemical_list: D009842:Oligopeptides; D053491:Proteinase Inhibitory Proteins, Secretory; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides; D029589:Seminal Plasma Proteins; C517879:glutaminyl-arginyl-phenylalanyl-seryl-arginine; D015260:Neprilysin
keywords: male infertility; seminal peptides; sperm motility