Department of Urology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, 154 Anshan Road, Heping District, Tianjin, 300052, China.
BMC Microbiol. 2024 Jan 15;24(1):22. doi: 10.1186/s12866-023-03173-5.
Identification of intestinal flora composition is significant for exploring the cause and pathogenic mechanisms of the gut-testis axis and clarifying the relationship between microbiota and infertility. Our study aimed to examine the alternation in gut microbiota composition and identify potential microbes associated with development of Asthenozoospermia (AS).
A total of 580 males were recruited in the outpatient department of Tianjin Medical University General Hospital between September 2021 and March 2023. Sperm parameters were analyzed according to the WHO laboratory manual. The 16 S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing was performed to detect the gut microbiota composition in fecal samples. LEfSe analysis was used to screen key microbiota. PICRUSt2 software was utilized to predict relevant pathways.
After rigorous screening, 60 isolated AS patients (AS group) and 48 healthy men (NC group) were enrolled. No significant differences were observed in demographic characteristics (p > 0.05), semen volume (p = 0.718), sperm concentration (p = 0.109), or total sperm count (p = 0.200). Sperm total motility and progressive motility were significantly decreased in the AS group (p < 0.001). AS patients had significantly lower alpha diversity indices (Chao1, observed OTUs, and PD Whole-tree; p < 0.05). The beta-diversity of gut microbiota in AS patients significantly differed from NC men (PCoA analysis, p = 0.001). Firmicutes, Bacteroidota, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria were the primary phyla, with the dominant genera including Bacteroides, Prevotella, and Blautia. Eleven key genera such as Escherichia_Shigella and Prevotellaceae_UCG_001 were identified by LEfSe analysis. Most of these genera were negatively correlated with sperm mobility. Eighty-eight KEGG pathways, including steroid biosynthesis and meiosis, were significantly enriched between the two groups.
It appears that gut microbiota composition in AS patients significantly differed from that in healthy men, and the development of AS might be associated with intestinal flora dysbiosis.
鉴定肠道菌群组成对于探索肠道-睾丸轴的病因和发病机制以及阐明微生物群与不育症之间的关系具有重要意义。我们的研究旨在检查肠道微生物群落组成的变化，并确定与弱精症（AS）发展相关的潜在微生物。
2021 年 9 月至 2023 年 3 月期间，我们在天津医科大学总医院的门诊共招募了 580 名男性。根据世界卫生组织实验室手册分析精子参数。使用 16S rRNA 基因高通量测序检测粪便样本中的肠道微生物群落组成。使用 LEfSe 分析筛选关键微生物群。使用 PICRUSt2 软件预测相关途径。
经过严格筛选，我们纳入了 60 名孤立性 AS 患者（AS 组）和 48 名健康男性（NC 组）。两组在人口统计学特征（p>0.05）、精液量（p=0.718）、精子浓度（p=0.109）或总精子数（p=0.200）方面无显著差异。AS 组的精子总活力和前向运动精子活力显著降低（p<0.001）。AS 患者的 alpha 多样性指数（Chao1、观察到的 OTUs 和 PD Whole-tree；p<0.05）显著降低。AS 患者的肠道微生物群 beta 多样性与 NC 男性明显不同（PCoA 分析，p=0.001）。厚壁菌门、拟杆菌门、变形菌门和放线菌门是主要的门，优势菌属包括拟杆菌属、普雷沃氏菌属和布劳特氏菌属。通过 LEfSe 分析鉴定出 11 个关键菌属，如大肠杆菌-志贺氏菌属和普雷沃氏菌科_UCG_001。这些菌属大多数与精子活力呈负相关。两组之间有 88 个 KEGG 途径显著富集，包括类固醇生物合成和减数分裂。
AS 患者的肠道微生物群落组成与健康男性明显不同，AS 的发生可能与肠道菌群失调有关。
