INVESTIGATION OF NEUROLOGICAL ABNORMALITIES IN AZOOSPERMIA PATIENTS: NEUROACTIVE PROTEINS AND NEUROENDOCRINE ASSESSMENT
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Keywords
Reproductive system, Infertility, Neurological abnormalities, β secretase enzyme, BDNF, serotonin
Abstract
Aim: Close relationship between neuroendocrine and reproductive systems causes neural hormones play crucial role in fertility and reciprocally Gonadotropin hormone-releasing hormone (GnRH) dysregulation makes aging related neural damages. This study aimed to investigate the possible changes of neuroactive proteins, peptides and hormones in azoospermia patients. Azoospermia is one of the main cause of men infertility and known by reduction of GnRH production and release that accompanied by several neurological complications.
Methods: This study was performed on 33 azoospermia patients that half of them were smokers and 30 healthy control that have two or more child and half of them were smokers. The level of neurohormones and biochemical parameters were evaluated by specific ELISA kit in blood serum samples. Neuroactive proteins including neuropeptide Y (NPY), Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), soluble amyloid precursor protein-alpha (sAPPα) and β-secretase (BACE1) circular concentrations were estimated by using specific ELISA kit according to antigen-antibody interaction.
Results and discussion: Results revealed between measured neurohormones, serotonin changed significantly as a result of azoospermia. While BDNF and NPY increased significantly in azoospermia patients in comparison with control and smoker patients showed more remarkable changes. This study could not detect significant alteration in sAPPα between four experimental groups. The circular concentration of BACE1 increased more than 1.5 folds in azoospermia patients, this increase was improved slightly in smoker patients. Our results highlighted participation of BACE1 in reproductive system as a multifunction protein. It seems decreased level of serotonin could motivate the further events so hormone replacement therapy seems to be helpful for limiting neurological side effects.
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Leila Sadeghi
Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.
Mokhalad Almnhawy
Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.
Gholamreza Dehghan
Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.