人精子烟碱样乙酰胆碱受体的表达与精子活力的相关性

Expression of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor in human sperm and its correlation with sperm motility

目的研究弱精子症患者的精子与正常精子中烟碱样乙酰胆碱受体(nicotinic acetylcholine receptors,nAChRs)的表达差异,探讨精子nAChRs的表达与精子活力的相关性。方法收集弱精子症患者和正常生育男性的精液,根据入组标准选入弱精子症组(31例)和正常对照组(36例)。Western blot法检测弱精子症组和对照组nAChRA7蛋白的表达,并比较两组之间的差异。用计算机辅助的精液分析系统检测和分析对照组和弱精子症组精液加入乙酰胆碱前后精液基本参数变化。结果与正常精子相比,弱精子症组精子nAChRA7表达减少。体外精液加入200 nmol/L乙酰胆碱能显著促进弱精子症组精子的活力(P<0.01),而正常对照组精子活力没有显著变化。结论弱精子症精子nAChRA7表达减少,nAChRs表达降低与精子活力降低有关。乙酰胆碱能显著提高弱精子症精子的运动能力。

Objective To study the difference of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors(nAChRs) expression in sperms between asthenospermia patients and controls, thus to investigate the correlation between the expression of nAChRs and sperm motility. Methods The semen of male infertility patients(31 samples) and normal fertile men(36 samples) were collected and selected into asthenospermia group and control group according to the criteria of enrollment. Western blot was used to assess the expression of nAChRA7 protein. The changes of basic semen parameters before and after adding acetylcholine to semen were detected and analyzed by computer-aided semen analysis system. Results Compared with normal sperm, the expression of nAChRA7 in asthenospermia sperm was reduced. The sperm motility of asthenospermia group was significantly increased by adding 200 nM acetylcholine into semen in vitro(P<0.01), though there was no significant change in sperm motility of control group. Conclusion The decrease of nAChRA7 expression in asthenospermia sperm is correlated with the decrease of sperm motility. Acetylcholine improves the motility of asthenospermia sperm.