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Progesterone receptor as an indicator of sperm function.
Sushama Gadkar1, C A Shah, Geetanjali Sachdeva
1Institute for Research in Reproduction, Indian Council of Medical Research, Parel, Mumbai 400 012, India.
Biology of Reproduction
|September 26, 2002
Summary
Reduced progesterone receptor (PR) expression on sperm is linked to male infertility. PR levels are a better indicator of sperm function than the hypoosmotic swelling (HOS) test and correlate with acrosome reaction ability.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Biology
- Andrology
- Sperm Physiology
Background:
- Progesterone receptor (PR) is crucial for sperm function.
- Its expression levels in spermatozoa may indicate male fertility status.
- Understanding PR's role can identify new markers for male infertility.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine progesterone receptor (PR) localization on spermatozoa in men with normal and abnormal spermiograms.
- To evaluate the potential of PR as a marker of sperm function.
- To investigate the correlation between PR expression and sperm acrosome reaction.
Main Methods:
- Immunocytochemical analysis using monoclonal antibodies against PR.
- Flow cytometry with a fluorescein-tagged progesterone-BSA complex (P-FITC-BSA).
- Hypoosmotic swelling (HOS) test to assess sperm membrane integrity.
Main Results:
- Significantly lower PR-positive spermatozoa were found in men with oligozoospermia, asthenozoospermia, oligoasthenozoospermia, and teratozoospermia compared to normozoospermic men.
- Spermatozoa with intact plasma membranes (HOS+) from infertile men showed a higher percentage lacking PR expression (HOS+PR-).
- PR expression strongly correlated positively with in vitro acrosome reaction ability across all study groups.
Conclusions:
- Down-regulation of PR expression in spermatozoa may contribute to male infertility.
- PR expression is a more sensitive indicator of sperm function than the HOS test.
- PR plays a potential role in the sperm acrosome reaction process.