Down-regulation of CatSper1 channel in epididymal spermatozoa contributes to the pathogenesis of asthenozoospermia, whereas up-regulation of the channel by Sheng-Jing-San treatment improves the sperm motility of asthenozoospermia in rats.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To determine the expression of CatSper1 channel in epididymal spermatozoa in a rat model of asthenozoospermia, induced by cyclophosphamide (CP), and further examine the effects of soluble granules of Sheng-Jing-San (SJS), a traditional Chinese medicine recipe, on CatSper1 expression and sperm motility in the CP-induced asthenozoospermic rats.

DESIGN:

Placebo-controlled, randomized trial.

SETTING:

Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, China.

ANIMAL(S):

Sexually mature male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 60).

INTERVENTION(S):

In the CP group, CP at the dose of 35 mg/kg intraperitoneally injected into rats once a day for 7 days; in the normal saline (NS) group, 0.9% saline solution was injected as control.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S):

Sperm motility and count were evaluated by computer-assisted sperm assay (CASA); protein and mRNA expression of CatSper1 channel in epididymal spermatozoa was determined by Western blotting and quantitative real-time RT-PCR, respectively.

RESULT(S):

The rats were randomly divided into five groups with 12 rats in each group: CP, normal saline (NS), CP + SJS, CP + NS, and treatment naïve. In the CP + SJS group, after the last injection of CP, SJS at a dose of 30 mg/kg was intragastrically administrated to rats once a day for 14 days; in CP + NS group, saline solution instead of SJS was administrated as control. In the treatment naïve group, rats were normally fed for 21 days as controls. We found a statistically significant reduction of the CatSper1 channel, which is associated with an impairment of sperm motility in the epididymal spermatozoa of CP-induced asthenozoospermic rats. Soluble granules of SJS could dramatically restore the CP-induced down-regulation of CatSper1 in epididymal spermatozoa, which greatly improved the sperm motility in the asthenozoospermic rats.

CONCLUSION(S):

Down-regulation of the CatSper1 channel in epididymal spermatozoa likely contributes to the pathogenesis of asthenozoospermia, whereas up-regulation of the channel by SJS improves sperm motility and thus can be used as an effective therapeutic strategy for the treatment of male infertility diagnosed with asthenozoospermia.

• Authors: Ya-Nan Wang, Bo Wang, Ming Liang, Cai-Yan Han, Bin Zhang, Jie Cai, Wei Sun, Guo-Gang Xing
• Journal: Fertility and sterility (Fertil Steril) Vol. 99 Issue 2 Pg. 579-87 (Feb 2013) ISSN: 1556-5653 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 23148924 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2013 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Calcium Channels
• CatSper1 protein, rat
• Drugs, Chinese Herbal
• sheng-ji-san

Topics

• Animals
• Asthenozoospermia (drug therapy, metabolism)
• Calcium Channels (metabolism)
• Down-Regulation
• Drugs, Chinese Herbal (pharmacology)
• Epididymis (cytology, drug effects, metabolism)
• Gene Expression Regulation (drug effects)
• Male
• Rats
• Rats, Sprague-Dawley
• Sperm Motility (drug effects, physiology)
• Spermatozoa (drug effects, physiology)
• Treatment Outcome
• Up-Regulation