Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Nursery, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Biscay 48940, Spain.
In Vitro Fertilization Laboratory, IVI Bilbao, Landabarri Promenade 1, Leioa, Biscay 48940, Spain.
Asian J Androl. 2018 Sep-Oct;20(5):498-504. doi: 10.4103/aja.aja_25_18.
Angiotensin-converting enzyme functions in the male reproductive system, but the extent of its function in reproduction is not fully understood. The primary objective of this work was to investigate the relationship between the testicular isoform of angiotensin-converting enzyme present in human spermatozoa and semen parameters, human embryo quality, and assisted reproduction success. A total of 81 semen samples and 635 embryos from couples undergoing oocyte donation cycles at the IVI Bilbao Clinic were analyzed. Semen parameters, embryos quality, and blastocyst development were examined according to the World Health Organization standards and the Spanish Association of Reproduction Biology Studies criteria. The percentage of testicular angiotensin-converting enzyme-positive spermatozoa and the number of molecules per spermatozoon were analyzed by flow cytometry. Both parameters were inversely correlated with human sperm motility. Higher percentages of testicular angiotensin-converting enzyme-positive spermatozoa together with fewer enzyme molecules per spermatozoon were positively correlated with better embryo quality and development. Our results suggest that embryos with a higher implantation potential come from semen samples with higher percentages of testicular angiotensin-converting enzyme-positive cells and fewer enzyme molecules per spermatozoon. Based on these findings, we propose that testicular angiotensin-converting enzyme could be used to aid embryologists in selecting better semen samples for obtaining high-quality blastocysts during in vitro fertilization procedures.
血管紧张素转换酶在男性生殖系统中发挥作用，但它在生殖中的作用程度尚不完全清楚。这项工作的主要目的是研究存在于人精子中的睾丸血管紧张素转换酶同工型与精液参数、人类胚胎质量和辅助生殖成功之间的关系。分析了在 IVI Bilbao 诊所接受卵母细胞捐赠周期的夫妇的 81 份精液样本和 635 个胚胎。根据世界卫生组织标准和西班牙生殖生物学研究协会标准检查精液参数、胚胎质量和囊胚发育。通过流式细胞术分析睾丸血管紧张素转换酶阳性精子的百分比和每个精子的酶分子数。这两个参数与人类精子运动能力呈负相关。睾丸血管紧张素转换酶阳性精子的百分比较高，每个精子的酶分子数较少，与胚胎质量和发育较好呈正相关。我们的结果表明，具有更高着床潜力的胚胎来自睾丸血管紧张素转换酶阳性细胞百分比较高和每个精子的酶分子数较少的精液样本。基于这些发现，我们提出睾丸血管紧张素转换酶可以帮助胚胎学家在体外受精过程中选择更好的精液样本，以获得高质量的囊胚。
