Effect of prolonged freezing of semen on exosome recovery and biologic activity.
Exosomes are important vehicles of intercellular communication that shape host responses to physiologic, tumorigenic, and pathogenic conditions. The composition and function of exosomes are dynamic and depends on the state and condition of the cellular source. In prior work, we found that semen exosomes (SE) from healthy donors who do not use illicit drugs potently inhibit HIV-1. Following semen donation, specimens are either used immediately or frozen for use at a later time. It has been shown that short-term freezing of semen has no effect on SE-mediated HIV-1 inhibition. However, the effect of illicit drugs and prolonged freezing on SE bioactivity is unknown. Here, we show preservation of SE physical properties, (morphology, concentration, intensity/size) irrespective of illicit drug use or duration of semen freezing. Interestingly, illicit drugs and prolonged freezing decreased the levels of SE-bound CD63/CD9 and acetylcholinesterase activity respectively. Furthermore, we show differential effects of illicit drug use and prolonged freezing on SE-mediated HIV-1 inhibition. Our results highlight the importance of the source of SE and condition of semen storage on SE content and function. In-depth evaluation of donor drug-use and duration of semen storage on SE cargo and bioactivity will advance our understanding of SE composition and function.
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, 51 Newton Road, Iowa City, IA, 52242-1109, USA.
Jennifer L
JL
Welch
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, 51 Newton Road, Iowa City, IA, 52242-1109, USA.|Miami Dade College, Homestead Campus, 500 College Terrace, Homestead, FL, 33030, USA.
Marisa N
MN
Madison
Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
Joseph B
JB
Margolick
Shannon
S
Galvin
Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Pittsburgh, 426 PUBHL130 DeSoto Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA.
Phalguni
P
Gupta
UCLA AIDS Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, 615 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
Otoniel
O
Martínez-Maza
Center for AIDS Health Disparities Research, Department of Biochemistry and cancer biology, Meharry Medical College,Nashville, TN 37208, USA.
Chandravanu
C
Dash
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, 51 Newton Road, Iowa City, IA, 52242-1109, USA.|Interdisciplinary Graduate program in Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB), University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
Chioma M
CM
Okeoma
D015925:Cryopreservation / Q000379:methods*; D055354:Exosomes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000821:virology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D012661:Semen / Q000166:cytology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D055101:Semen Analysis; D060245:Tetraspanin 29 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D060149:Tetraspanin 30 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D013287:Illicit Drugs; D060245:Tetraspanin 29; D060149:Tetraspanin 30