Androgen Receptor Expression and Sperm Function in Male Infertility

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Medical Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura university

2 Dermatology, Venereology and Andrology Departments, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura university

3 Clinical Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University

Abstract

The androgen receptor (AR), a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily, plays
important role in male reproductive functions. A functional androgen receptor is
required for male embryonic sexual differentiation, pubertal development and
regulation of spermatogenesis. The role of AR during spermatogenesis has been the
subject of intense interest for many years. Several reports have shown that AR
function is required for the completion of meiosis and the transition of spermatocytes
to haploid round spermatids. The aim of the present study was to determine the
association between androgen receptor expression and fertilization ability of human
sperm in different andrological diseases. Eighty semen samples obtained from men
attending the Andrology Outpatient Clinic, Mansoura University Hospital were
included in the study .The samples were grouped into control (n=20), accessory sex
gland inflammation (MAGI) ( n=18), varicocele ( n=25) and idiopathic infertility
(n=17). The semen samples analyses were done according to the recommendation of
the World Health Organization. Computer assisted semen analysis (Autosperm) was
performed. The acrosome reaction of spermatozoa recovered from each sample was
assessed before and after stimulation with the calcium ionophore A23187 (Sigma, St.
Louis, Missouri, USA) by the pisum sativum (Sigma, St. Louis, Missouri, USA)
fluorescence method with simultaneous vitality stain (Hoechst 33258, Germany).
RNA was extracted from sperm of all cases and controls. cDNA and amplification of
a gene region from 1648 to 2055 bp corresponding to the DNA binding domain plus
the hinge region of human androgen receptor was carried out by one step RT-PCR.
The PCR product size of 400 bp was electrophoresed on agarose gel 2%
electrophoresis. Androgen receptor expression was significantly decreased in MAGI,
varicocele and idiopathic groups compared with the control (P<0.01). Furthermore,
AR expression was positively correlated with grade A+B motility (r=0.476,
P<0.0001, velocity (r=0.362, P<0.001), linear velocity (r=0.454, P<0.0001), α-
glucosidase (r= 0.420, P<0.0001) and acrosome reaction (r=0.532, P<0.0001).

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