Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy.
Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy.
Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Mar 31;24(7):6536. doi: 10.3390/ijms24076536.
To evaluate whether the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) receptor (FSHR) is expressed in human spermatozoa and the effects of FSH incubation on sperm function. Twenty-four Caucasian men were recruited. Thirteen patients had asthenozoospermia, and the remaining 11 had normal sperm parameters (controls). After confirming FSHR expression, spermatozoa from patients and controls were incubated with increasing concentrations of human purified FSH (hpFSH) to reassess FSHR expression and localization and to evaluate progressive and total sperm motility, the mitochondrial membrane potential, and protein kinase B (AKT) 473 and 308 phosphorylation. FSHR is expressed in the post-acrosomal segment, neck, midpiece, and tail of human spermatozoa. Its localization does not differ between patients and controls. Incubation with hpFSH at a concentration of 30 mIU/mL appeared to increase FSHR expression mainly in patients. Incubation of human spermatozoa with hpFSH overall resulted in an overall deterioration of both progressive and total motility in patients and controls and worse mitochondrial function only in controls. Finally, incubation with FSH increased AKT/tubulin phosphorylation to a greater extent than AKT. FSHR is expressed in the post-acrosomal region, neck, midpiece, and tail of human spermatozoa. Contrary to a previous study, we report a negative effect of FSH on sperm motility and mitochondrial function. FSH also activates the AKT signaling pathway.
目的评估卵泡刺激素（FSH）受体（FSHR）是否在人精子中表达，以及 FSH 孵育对精子功能的影响。招募了 24 名白种人男性。13 名患者为弱精症，其余 11 名患者精子参数正常（对照组）。在确认 FSHR 表达后，将患者和对照组的精子与不同浓度的人纯化 FSH（hpFSH）孵育，以重新评估 FSHR 的表达和定位，并评估精子的前向运动、总运动、线粒体膜电位和蛋白激酶 B（AKT）473 和 308 磷酸化。FSHR 在人精子的顶体后节段、颈部、中段和尾部表达。其定位在患者和对照组之间没有差异。在 30 mIU/mL 的 hpFSH 浓度下孵育似乎主要增加了患者的 FSHR 表达。总体而言，hpFSH 孵育导致患者和对照组的前向运动和总运动均整体恶化，仅在对照组中导致线粒体功能更差。最后，与 AKT 相比，FSH 孵育更能增加 AKT/微管蛋白的磷酸化。FSHR 在人精子的顶体后区、颈部、中段和尾部表达。与之前的研究相反，我们报告了 FSH 对精子运动和线粒体功能的负面影响。FSH 还激活了 AKT 信号通路。
