Investigation Of The Relationship Between CEP-135Expression And Motility And DNA Damage In Spermatozoa

ObjectiveAsthenozoospermia, caused by the low sperm motility, is an important reason formale infertility, the exploration of the mechanism of asthenozoospermia has become ahotspot both at home and abroad, as well as the new treatment strategies. We measuredthe vitality of the spermatozoa, damage rate of DNA and the expression of centrosomalprotein (CEP)135, and investigated the correlations between CEP135and the vitalityof the spermatozoa, damage rate of DNA in this research. Aiming to determine whetherthe CEP135has potential guidance value in the treatment of asthenozoospermia,meanwhile, we also try to explore the mechanism of asthenozoospermia.Methods91semen samples were analyzed with the computer aided sperm analysis, and they were classified into3groups according to the percentage of sperm grade a and grade b, group I:(a+b)%>50%or a%>25%, group II:(a+b)%:25%-50%, group III:(a+b)<25%. There were31samples in group I,30in group II and30in group III. The damage rate of DNA in spermatozoa was measured by sperm chromatin dispersion (SCD). The expression of CEP135messenger RNA were measured by the Reverse transcription-quantitative real-time PCR(RT-qPCR), and the relative expression (Re) of target gene was calculated withformula2-ΔCT, we used the agarose gel electrophoresis (AGE) to verify the results of RT-qPCR. The correlation analysis between CEP135and the vitality of th e sperm cells, damage rate of DNA was analyzed with the SPSS16.0.ResultsThe vitality of the spermatozoa in the three groups was62.31%±7.97%,36.63%±6.61%and16.51%±6.57%, respectively. The damage rate of DNA inspermatozoa was17.18%±6.72%,22.86%±6.67%and27.30%±6.44%, respectively,and the mean expression of CEP135messenger RNA was9.45×10-2±2.64×10-4,9.48×10-2±3.24×10-4,9.49×10-2±2.52×10-4，respectively. Significant differences werefound in the vitality of the sperm cells, the damage rate of DNA and the meanexpression of CEP135messenger RNA among three groups (P <0.05). The vitality ofthe sperm cells was negatively correlated with the damage rate of DNA (r=-0.619,p<0.01) and the mean expression of CEP135mRNA (r=-0.574, p<0.01). With theincreasing expression of CEP135mRNA of the sperm cells, the damage rate of DNAalso increased, and positive correlation was also found between the expression ofCEP135mRNA and the damage rate of DNA in sperm cells (r=0.316；P<0.01).ConclusionThe high expression of CEP135mRNA in patients with asthenozoospermia wassignificantly correlated with the low vitality of the spermatozoa and high damage rate ofDNA. Clinicians can assess the quality of semen by measuring the expression of CEP135mRNA of the spermatozoa, meanwhile, we can alter the relative expression (Re)with the help of gene interference technology, thus improving the quality of semen andthe potentia generandi of asthenozoospermia.