Central Laboratory, The Affiliated Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital of Qingdao University, Yantai, Shandong 264000, P.R. China.
Research Department, The Affiliated Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital of Qingdao University, Yantai, Shandong 264000, P.R. China.
Mol Med Rep. 2019 Apr;19(4):2471-2478. doi: 10.3892/mmr.2019.9926. Epub 2019 Feb 1.
The energy required for normal sperm function is mainly generated by glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation. Testis‑specific glycolytic enzymes are expressed in germ cells and present in mature spermatozoa. The objective of the present study was to investigate the association between aberrant expression of glycolytic enzymes and human sperm quality. In silico analysis of glyceraldehyde‑3‑phosphate dehydrogenase, testis‑specific (GAPDHS), phosphoglycerate kinase 2 (PGK2) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDHC) identified that they were exclusively expressed in post‑meiotic germ cells and this was validated in human testes using immunohistochemistry. Compared with the testes of young adults, markedly lower expression levels of these glycolytic enzymes were observed in the testes of elderly adults. Similarly, low levels were observed in immature and asthenozoospermic spermatozoa. The expression levels of GAPDHS, PGK2 and LDHC in the spermatozoa were closely correlated with progressive sperm motility. The results indicated that the expression of GAPDHS, PGK2 and LDHC in sperm may be associated with sperm quality, and there may be a similar molecular mechanism underlying sperm quality in immature and asthenozoospermic spermatozoa. This study reveals a close association of glycolytic enzymes with sperm quality. The data may greatly contribute to the molecular evaluation of sperm quality and the diagnosis and treatment of asthenozoospermia.
正常精子功能所需的能量主要由糖酵解和氧化磷酸化产生。睾丸特异性糖酵解酶在生殖细胞中表达，并存在于成熟的精子中。本研究旨在探讨糖酵解酶异常表达与人类精子质量之间的关系。通过对甘油醛-3-磷酸脱氢酶（GAPDHS）、睾丸特异性（GAPDHS）、磷酸甘油酸激酶 2（PGK2）和乳酸脱氢酶（LDHC）的计算机分析，鉴定出它们仅在减数分裂后生殖细胞中表达，并通过免疫组织化学在人睾丸中进行了验证。与年轻成年人的睾丸相比，老年成年人的睾丸中这些糖酵解酶的表达水平明显降低。同样，在不成熟和弱精子症的精子中也观察到低水平。GAPDHS、PGK2 和 LDHC 在精子中的表达水平与精子的前向运动能力密切相关。结果表明，精子中 GAPDHS、PGK2 和 LDHC 的表达可能与精子质量有关，不成熟和弱精子症精子的精子质量可能存在类似的分子机制。本研究揭示了糖酵解酶与精子质量之间的密切关系。这些数据可能极大地有助于精子质量的分子评估以及弱精子症的诊断和治疗。
