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Jensen JT, Edelman A, Westhoff CL, Schreiber CA, Archer DF, Teal S, Thomas M, Brown J, Blithe DL. Use of serum evaluation of contraceptive and ovarian hormones to assess reduced risk of pregnancy among women presenting for emergency contraception in a multicenter clinical trial. Contraception 2024:110475. [PMID: 38670302 DOI: 10.1016/j.contraception.2024.110475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2024] [Revised: 04/06/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To evaluate ovulation risk among women enrolling in an emergency contraception (EC) study by measuring contraceptive steroids and ovarian hormones. STUDY DESIGN We used standard chemiluminescent assays to evaluate endogenous hormones (estradiol, progesterone, follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone) and liquid chromatography-tandem triple quadrupole mass spectrometry to simultaneously analyze concentrations of ethinylestradiol, dienogest, norelgestromin (NGMN), norethindrone (NET), gestodene, levonorgestrel (LNG), etonogestrel (ENG), segesterone acetate, medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA), and drospirenone in serum samples obtained at the time of enrollment in a recent study comparing oral ulipristal acetate and LNG EC in women with weight ≥80 kg reporting no recent use of hormonal contraception. RESULTS We enrolled 532 and obtained a valid baseline blood sample from 520 women. Of these, 117 (22.5%) had detectable concentrations of progestin (MPA [n = 58, 11.2%], LNG [50, 9.6%], ENG [11, 2.1%], NET [5, 0.96%], NGMN [3, 0.06%], or drospirenone [1, 0.02%]). LNG was co-detected in all three participants with samples containing NGMN. Multiple progestins were detected in eight other women: ENG/MPA (1), ENG/LNG (2), and MPA/LNG (5). Samples from 55 (10.6%) had concentrations of one or more progestin considered above the minimum level for contraceptive (MPA ≥ 0.1 ng/mL, n = 19; NGMN/LNG ≥ 0.2 ng/mL, n = 31; ENG ≥ 0.09 ng/mL, n = 8; NET ≥ 0.35 ng/mL, n = 4). We detected concentrations of serum progesterone ≥ 3 ng/mL, indicative of luteal phase (postovulation) status, in an additional 194 (37.3%) samples. CONCLUSIONS More than one-third of enrolled in our clinical trial of oral EC had evidence of prior ovulation at the time of enrollment. Additionally, about 23% had evidence of recent use of hormonal contraception. These results would have decreased the expected risk of pregnancy in the study. IMPLICATIONS Many participants in a recent clinical trial of oral emergency contraception did not appear to be at risk for pregnancy or would not have benefited from intervention due to cycle timing. Investigators should consider the effects of these findings on expected pregnancy rates when determining sample size in future EC clinical trials, particularly when using noninferiority designs or historical controls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey T Jensen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States.
| | - Alison Edelman
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Carolyn L Westhoff
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Coutney A Schreiber
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - David F Archer
- Clinical Research Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA, United States
| | - Stephanie Teal
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Aurora CO, United States
| | - Michael Thomas
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Jill Brown
- Contraceptive Development Program, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Diana L Blithe
- Contraceptive Development Program, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD, United States
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Wu S, Yang Y, Zhang M, Khan AU, Dai J, Ouyang J. Serpin peptidase inhibitor, clade E, member 2 in physiology and pathology: recent advancements. Front Mol Biosci 2024; 11:1334931. [PMID: 38469181 PMCID: PMC10927012 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2024.1334931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Serine protease inhibitors (serpins) are the most numerous and widespread multifunctional protease inhibitor superfamily and are expressed by all eukaryotes. Serpin E2 (serpin peptidase inhibitor, clade E, member 2), a member of the serine protease inhibitor superfamily is a potent endogenous thrombin inhibitor, mainly found in the extracellular matrix and platelets, and expressed in numerous organs and secreted by many cell types. The multiple functions of serpin E2 are mainly mediated through regulating urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA, also known as PLAU), tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA, also known as PLAT), and matrix metalloproteinase activity, and include hemostasis, cell adhesion, and promotion of tumor metastasis. The importance serpin E2 is clear from its involvement in numerous physiological and pathological processes. In this review, we summarize the structural characteristics of the Serpin E2 gene and protein, as well as its roles physiology and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shutong Wu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Digital Medicine and Biomechanics, Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Translation of Medical 3D Printing Application, National Virtual & Reality Experimental Education Center for Medical Morphology (Southern Medical University), National Key Discipline of Human Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Xinjin Branch of Chengdu Municipal Public Security Bureau, Chengdu, China
| | - Yuchao Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Digital Medicine and Biomechanics, Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Translation of Medical 3D Printing Application, National Virtual & Reality Experimental Education Center for Medical Morphology (Southern Medical University), National Key Discipline of Human Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Yue Bei People’s Hospital Postdoctoral Innovation Practice Base, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Meiling Zhang
- Chengdu Municipal Public Security Bureau Wenjiang Branch, Chengdu, China
| | - Asmat Ullah Khan
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Digital Medicine and Biomechanics, Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Translation of Medical 3D Printing Application, National Virtual & Reality Experimental Education Center for Medical Morphology (Southern Medical University), National Key Discipline of Human Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jingxing Dai
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Digital Medicine and Biomechanics, Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Translation of Medical 3D Printing Application, National Virtual & Reality Experimental Education Center for Medical Morphology (Southern Medical University), National Key Discipline of Human Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jun Ouyang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Digital Medicine and Biomechanics, Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Translation of Medical 3D Printing Application, National Virtual & Reality Experimental Education Center for Medical Morphology (Southern Medical University), National Key Discipline of Human Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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Pacak P, Kluger C, Vogel V. Molecular dynamics of JUNO-IZUMO1 complexation suggests biologically relevant mechanisms in fertilization. Sci Rep 2023; 13:20342. [PMID: 37990051 PMCID: PMC10663542 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-46835-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023] Open
Abstract
JUNO-IZUMO1 binding is the first known physical link created between the sperm and egg membranes in fertilization, however, how this initiates sperm-egg fusion remains elusive. As advanced structural insights will help to combat the infertility crisis, or advance fertility control, we employed all-atom Molecular Dynamics (MD) to derive dynamic structural insights that are difficult to obtain experimentally. We found that the hydrated JUNO-IZUMO1 interface is composed of a large set of short-lived non-covalent interactions. The contact interface is destabilized by strategically located point mutations, as well as by Zn2+ ions, which shift IZUMO1 into the non-binding "boomerang" conformation. We hypothesize that the latter might explain how the transient zinc spark, as released after sperm entry into the oocyte, might contribute to block polyspermy. To address a second mystery, we performed another set of simulations, as it was previously suggested that JUNO in solution is unable to bind to folate despite it belonging to the folate receptor family. MD now suggests that JUNO complexation with IZUMO1 opens up the binding pocket thereby enabling folate insertion. Our MD simulations thus provide crucial new hypotheses how the dynamics of the JUNO-IZUMO1 complex upon solvation might regulate fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulina Pacak
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Carleen Kluger
- Lehrstuhl für Angewandte Physik and Center for NanoScience, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, München, Munich, Germany
- Evotec München GmbH, Neuried, Germany
| | - Viola Vogel
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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Huang J, Chen H, Li N, Zhao Y. Emerging microfluidic technologies for sperm sorting. ENGINEERED REGENERATION 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.engreg.2023.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
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Emergency Contraception: Access and Challenges at Times of Uncertainty. Am J Ther 2022; 29:e553-e567. [PMID: 35998109 DOI: 10.1097/mjt.0000000000001560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The UN Commission on Life-Saving Commodities for Women's and Children's Health identified emergency contraceptive pills as 1 of the 13 essential underused, low-cost, and high-impact commodities that could save the lives of millions of women and children worldwide. In the US, 2 emergency contraceptive regimens are currently approved, and their most plausible mechanism of action involves delaying and/or inhibiting ovulation. AREAS OF UNCERTAINTY Abortion and contraception are recognized as essential components of reproductive health care. In the US, in the wake of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization Supreme Court decision on June 24, 2022, 26 states began to or are expected to severely restrict abortion. It is anticipated that these restrictions will increase the demand for emergency contraception (EC). Several obstacles to EC access have been described, and these include cost, hurdles to over-the-counter purchase, low awareness, myths about their mechanisms of action, widespread misinformation, and barriers that special populations face in accessing them. The politicization of EC is a major factor limiting access. Improving sex education and health literacy, along with eHealth literacy, are important initiatives to improve EC uptake and access. DATA SOURCES PubMed, The Guttmacher Institute, Society of Family Planning, American College of Obstetrician and Gynecologists, the World Health Organization, The United Nations. THERAPEUTIC ADVANCES A randomized noninferiority trial showed that the 52 mg levonorgestrel intrauterine device was noninferior to the copper intrauterine device when used as an EC method in the first 5 days after unprotected intercourse. This is a promising and highly effective emergency contraceptive option, particularly for overweight and obese patients, and a contraceptive option with a different bleeding profile than the copper intrauterine device. CONCLUSIONS EC represents an important facet of medicine and public health. The 2 medical regimens currently approved in the US are very effective, have virtually no medical contraindications, and novel formulations are actively being investigated to make them more convenient and effective for all patient populations. Barriers to accessing EC, including the widespread presence of contraception deserts, threaten to broaden and accentuate the already existing inequities and disparities in society, at a time when they have reached the dimensions of a public health crisis.
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Kirolos SA, Rijal R, Consalvo KM, Gomer RH. Using Dictyostelium to Develop Therapeutics for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:710005. [PMID: 34350188 PMCID: PMC8326840 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.710005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) involves damage to lungs causing an influx of neutrophils from the blood into the lung airspaces, and the neutrophils causing further damage, which attracts more neutrophils in a vicious cycle. There are ∼190,000 cases of ARDS per year in the US, and because of the lack of therapeutics, the mortality rate is ∼40%. Repelling neutrophils out of the lung airspaces, or simply preventing neutrophil entry, is a potential therapeutic. In this minireview, we discuss how our lab noticed that a protein called AprA secreted by growing Dictyostelium cells functions as a repellent for Dictyostelium cells, causing cells to move away from a source of AprA. We then found that AprA has structural similarity to a human secreted protein called dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPPIV), and that DPPIV is a repellent for human neutrophils. In animal models of ARDS, inhalation of DPPIV or DPPIV mimetics blocks neutrophil influx into the lungs. To move DPPIV or DPPIV mimetics into the clinic, we need to know how this repulsion works to understand possible drug interactions and side effects. Combining biochemistry and genetics in Dictyostelium to elucidate the AprA signal transduction pathway, followed by drug studies in human neutrophils to determine similarities and differences between neutrophil and Dictyostelium chemorepulsion, will hopefully lead to the safe use of DPPIV or DPPIV mimetics in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Richard H. Gomer
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
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Giojalas LC, Guidobaldi HA. Getting to and away from the egg, an interplay between several sperm transport mechanisms and a complex oviduct physiology. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2020; 518:110954. [PMID: 32738445 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2020.110954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Revised: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
In mammals, the architecture and physiology of the oviduct are very complex, and one long-lasting intriguing question is how spermatozoa are transported from the sperm reservoir in the isthmus to the oocyte surface. In recent decades, several studies have improved knowledge of the factors affecting oviduct fluid movement and sperm transport. They report sperm-guiding mechanisms that move the spermatozoa towards (rheotaxis, thermotaxis, and chemotaxis) or away from the egg surface (chemorepulsion), but only a few provide evidence of their occurrence in vivo. This gives rise to several questions: how and when do the sperm transport mechanisms operate inside such an active oviduct? why are there so many sperm guidance processes? is one dominant over the others, or do they cooperate to optimise the success of fertilisation? Assuming that sperm guidance evolved alongside oviduct physiology, in this review we propose a theoretical model that integrates oviduct complexity in space and time with the sperm-orienting mechanisms. In addition, since all of the sperm-guidance processes recruit spermatozoa in a better physiological condition than those not selected, they could potentially be incorporated into assisted reproductive technology (ART) to improve fertility treatment and/or to develop innovative contraceptive methods. All these issues are discussed in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Cecilia Giojalas
- Centro de Biología Celular y Molecular (FCEFyN- UNC), and Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET - UNC), Córdoba, Argentina.
| | - Héctor Alejandro Guidobaldi
- Centro de Biología Celular y Molecular (FCEFyN- UNC), and Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET - UNC), Córdoba, Argentina
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8
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The Role of Zinc in Male Fertility. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21207796. [PMID: 33096823 PMCID: PMC7589359 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21207796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Several studies proposed the importance of zinc ion in male fertility. Here, we describe the properties, roles and cellular mechanisms of action of Zn2+ in spermatozoa, focusing on its involvement in sperm motility, capacitation and acrosomal exocytosis, three functions that are crucial for successful fertilization. The impact of zinc supplementation on assisted fertilization techniques is also described. The impact of zinc on sperm motility has been investigated in many vertebrate and invertebrate species. It has been reported that Zn2+ in human seminal plasma decreases sperm motility and that Zn2+ removal enhances motility. Reduction in the intracellular concentration of Zn2+ during epididymal transit allows the development of progressive motility and the subsequent hyper activated motility during sperm capacitation. Extracellular Zn2+ affects intracellular signaling pathways through its interaction with the Zn2+ sensing receptor (ZnR), also named GPR39. This receptor was found in the sperm tail and the acrosome, suggesting the possible involvement of Zn2+ in sperm motility and acrosomal exocytosis. Our studies showed that Zn2+ stimulates bovine sperm acrosomal exocytosis, as well as human sperm hyper-activated motility, were both mediated by GPR39. Zn2+ binds and activates GPR39, which activates the trans-membrane-adenylyl-cyclase (tmAC) to catalyze cAMP production. The NHE (Na+/H+-exchanger) is activated by cAMP, leading in increased pHi and activation of the sperm-specific Ca2+ channel CatSper, resulting in an increase in [Ca2+]i, which, together with HCO3−, activates the soluble adenylyl-cyclase (sAC). The increase in [cAMP]i activates protein kinase A (PKA), followed by activation of the Src-epidermal growth factor receptor-Pphospholipase C (Src-EGFR-PLC) cascade, resulting in inositol-triphosphate (IP3) production, which mobilizes Ca2+ from the acrosome, causing a further increase in [Ca2+]i and the development of hyper-activated motility. PKA also activates phospholipase D1 (PLD1), leading to F-actin formation during capacitation. Prior to the acrosomal exocytosis, PLC induces phosphadidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) hydrolysis, leading to the release of the actin-severing protein gelsolin to the cytosol, which is activated by Ca2+, resulting in F-actin breakdown and the occurrence of acrosomal exocytosis.
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Dominguez EM, Moreno-Irusta A, Rodriguez MB, Salamone DF, de Arruda RP, Losinno L, Giojalas LC. Chemotactic selection of frozen-thawed stallion sperm improves sperm quality and heterologous binding to oocytes. Anim Reprod Sci 2020; 221:106582. [PMID: 32889407 DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2020.106582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Revised: 08/15/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The successful use of assisted reproduction techniques (ART) depends in part on the sperm physiological status. Several sperm selection procedures have been applied to improve quality of sperm population when using the ART. There has previously been development of a Sperm Selection Assay (SSA) for humans which is based on the attraction of capacitated sperm by chemotaxis towards progesterone (P), resulting in an enriched sperm population with an optimal physiological status similar to capacitated spermatozoa, with these cells having very little DNA fragmentation and optimal concentrations of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In the present study, the aim was to adapt the SSA for frozen-thawed stallion semen samples and evaluate the functional status of those sperm selected using the SSA procedure, and to determine whether this enriched sperm population has a greater capacity to bind to the zona pellucida of cattle oocytes. There were experimental conditions developed to conduct the SSA with stallion sperm. Using these conditions, the indexes of induced acrosome reaction, protein tyrosine phosphorylation, mitochondrial membrane potential, mitochondrial and cytoplasmic reactive oxygen species, and number of sperm bound to the zona pellucida of cattle were greater when the sperm population was selected using the SSA. Consistently, the DNA fragmentation and phospholipase C zeta indexes were less for the selected sperm. In conclusion, stallion sperm selected using chemotaxis utilizing the SSA provides a sperm population of greater quality, which when used may improve the outcomes with use of the ART.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esteban Mauricio Dominguez
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (UNC), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Centro de Biología Celular y Molecular, Córdoba, Argentina; Consejo de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Ayelen Moreno-Irusta
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (UNC), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Centro de Biología Celular y Molecular, Córdoba, Argentina; Consejo de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - María Belén Rodriguez
- Laboratorio de Biotecnología Animal, FAUBA/INPA- CONICET, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Daniel F Salamone
- Laboratorio de Biotecnología Animal, FAUBA/INPA- CONICET, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Rubens Paes de Arruda
- Laboratório de Biotecnologia do Sêmen e Andrologia - LBSA, Departamento de Reprodução Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Ciência Animal, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Pirassununga, SP, Brazil
| | - Luis Losinno
- Universidad Nacional de Rio Cuarto (UNRC), Facultad de Agronomía y Veterinaria, Catedra de Producción Equina I y II, Rio Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina; Universidad Nacional de Rio Cuarto (UNRC), Facultad de Agronomía y Veterinaria, Laboratorio de Producción Equina, Rio Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Laura Cecilia Giojalas
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (UNC), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Centro de Biología Celular y Molecular, Córdoba, Argentina; Consejo de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas, Córdoba, Argentina.
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Kerns K, Sharif M, Zigo M, Xu W, Hamilton LE, Sutovsky M, Ellersieck M, Drobnis EZ, Bovin N, Oko R, Miller D, Sutovsky P. Sperm Cohort-Specific Zinc Signature Acquisition and Capacitation-Induced Zinc Flux Regulate Sperm-Oviduct and Sperm-Zona Pellucida Interactions. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21062121. [PMID: 32204514 PMCID: PMC7139966 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21062121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Revised: 03/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Building on our recent discovery of the zinc signature phenomenon present in boar, bull, and human spermatozoa, we have further characterized the role of zinc ions in the spermatozoa’s pathway to fertilization. In boar, the zinc signature differed between the three major boar ejaculate fractions, the initial pre-rich, the sperm-rich, and the post-sperm-rich fraction. These differences set in the sperm ejaculatory sequence establish two major sperm cohorts with marked differences in their sperm capacitation progress. On the subcellular level, we show that the capacitation-induced Zn-ion efflux allows for sperm release from oviductal glycans as analyzed with the oviductal epithelium mimicking glycan binding assay. Sperm zinc efflux also activates zinc-containing enzymes and proteases involved in sperm penetration of the zona pellucida, such as the inner acrosomal membrane matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2). Both MMP2 and the 26S proteasome showed severely reduced activity in the presence of zinc ions, through studies using by gel zymography and the fluorogenic substrates, respectively. In the context of the fertilization-induced oocyte zinc spark and the ensuing oocyte-issued polyspermy-blocking zinc shield, the inhibitory effect of zinc on sperm-borne enzymes may contribute to the fast block of polyspermy. Altogether, our findings establish a new paradigm on the role of zinc ions in sperm function and pave the way for the optimization of animal semen analysis, artificial insemination (AI), and human male-factor infertility diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karl Kerns
- Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211-5300, USA; (K.K.); (M.Z.); (L.E.H.); (M.S.); (M.E.)
| | - Momal Sharif
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; (M.S.); (D.M.)
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Michal Zigo
- Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211-5300, USA; (K.K.); (M.Z.); (L.E.H.); (M.S.); (M.E.)
| | - Wei Xu
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3 N6, Canada; (W.X.); (R.O.)
| | - Lauren E. Hamilton
- Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211-5300, USA; (K.K.); (M.Z.); (L.E.H.); (M.S.); (M.E.)
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3 N6, Canada; (W.X.); (R.O.)
| | - Miriam Sutovsky
- Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211-5300, USA; (K.K.); (M.Z.); (L.E.H.); (M.S.); (M.E.)
| | - Mark Ellersieck
- Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211-5300, USA; (K.K.); (M.Z.); (L.E.H.); (M.S.); (M.E.)
| | - Erma Z. Drobnis
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211-5300, USA;
| | - Nicolai Bovin
- Shemyakin Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Moscow 117997, Russia;
| | - Richard Oko
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3 N6, Canada; (W.X.); (R.O.)
| | - David Miller
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; (M.S.); (D.M.)
| | - Peter Sutovsky
- Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211-5300, USA; (K.K.); (M.Z.); (L.E.H.); (M.S.); (M.E.)
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211-5300, USA;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-573-882-3329
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Gómez-Elías MD, May M, Munuce MJ, Bahamondes L, Cuasnicú PS, Cohen DJ. A single post-ovulatory dose of ulipristal acetate impairs post-fertilization events in mice. Mol Hum Reprod 2019; 25:257-264. [PMID: 30824928 DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gaz013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2018] [Revised: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 02/26/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Ulipristal acetate (UPA) is a selective progesterone receptor modulator used for emergency contraception that has proven to be highly effective in preventing pregnancy when taken up to 120 h after unprotected sexual intercourse. Even though it may act mainly by delaying or inhibiting ovulation, additional effects of UPA on post-fertilization events cannot be excluded. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine whether a single post-ovulatory dose of UPA could prevent pregnancy using the mouse as a pre-clinical model. Mated females received a single dose of UPA (40 mg/kg) on Day E1.5 or E2.5 (E0.5: copulatory plug detection) and post-fertilization events were evaluated. Our studies revealed that UPA administration produced a significant decrease in the number of conceptuses compared to control. Moreover, UPA-treated females exhibited a lower number of early implantation sites on Day E5.5, despite normal in vivo embryo development and transport to the uterus at E3.5. Administration of UPA produced histological and functional alterations in the uterine horns, i.e., a dyssynchronous growth between endometrial glands and stroma, with non-physiological combination of both fractions compared to controls, and a completely impaired ability to respond to an artificial decidualization stimulus. Altogether, our results show that the administration of a single post-ovulatory dose of UPA impairs mouse pregnancy probably due to an effect on embryo-uterine interaction, supporting additional effects of the drug on post-fertilization events. Although these studies cannot be performed with human samples, our results with the mouse model provide new insights into the mechanism of action of UPA as an emergency contraception method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matías D Gómez-Elías
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María May
- Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacológicas (ININFA-UBA-CONICET), Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María José Munuce
- Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Biochemical Chemistry Area, School of Biochemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, National University of Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Luis Bahamondes
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Medicine, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Patricia S Cuasnicú
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Débora J Cohen
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
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12
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Abstract
In many species, sperm must locate the female gamete to achieve fertilization. Molecules diffusing from the egg envelope, or the female genital tract, guide the sperm toward the oocyte through a process called chemotaxis. Sperm chemotaxis has been studied for more than 100 years being a widespread phenomenon present from lower plants to mammals. This process has been mostly studied in external fertilizers where gametes undergo a significant dilution, as compared to internal fertilizers where the encounter is more defined by the topology of the female tract and only a small fraction of sperm appear to chemotactically respond. Here, we summarize the main methods to measure sperm swimming responses to a chemoattractant, both in populations and in individual sperm. We discuss a novel chemotactic index (CI) to score sperm chemotaxis in external fertilizers having circular trajectories. This CI is based on the sperm progressive displacement and its orientation angle to the chemoattractant source.
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Affiliation(s)
- Héctor Vicente Ramírez-Gómez
- Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - Idán Tuval
- Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), Esporles, Spain
| | - Adán Guerrero
- Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Cuernavaca, Mexico; Laboratorio Nacional de Microscopía Avanzada, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - Alberto Darszon
- Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Cuernavaca, Mexico.
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13
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Kerns K, Zigo M, Sutovsky P. Zinc: A Necessary Ion for Mammalian Sperm Fertilization Competency. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:E4097. [PMID: 30567310 PMCID: PMC6321397 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19124097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2018] [Revised: 12/10/2018] [Accepted: 12/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The importance of zinc for male fertility only emerged recently, being propelled in part by consumer interest in nutritional supplements containing ionic trace minerals. Here, we review the properties, biological roles and cellular mechanisms that are relevant to zinc function in the male reproductive system, survey available peer-reviewed data on nutritional zinc supplementation for fertility improvement in livestock animals and infertility therapy in men, and discuss the recently discovered signaling pathways involving zinc in sperm maturation and fertilization. Emphasis is on the zinc-interacting sperm proteome and its involvement in the regulation of sperm structure and function, from spermatogenesis and epididymal sperm maturation to sperm interactions with the female reproductive tract, capacitation, fertilization, and embryo development. Merits of dietary zinc supplementation and zinc inclusion into semen processing media are considered with livestock artificial insemination (AI) and human assisted reproductive therapy (ART) in mind. Collectively, the currently available data underline the importance of zinc ions for male fertility, which could be harnessed to improve human reproductive health and reproductive efficiency in agriculturally important livestock species. Further research will advance the field of sperm and fertilization biology, provide new research tools, and ultimately optimize semen processing procedures for human infertility therapy and livestock AI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karl Kerns
- Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211-5300, USA.
| | - Michal Zigo
- Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211-5300, USA.
| | - Peter Sutovsky
- Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211-5300, USA.
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211-5300, USA.
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14
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Dominguez EM, Moreno-Irusta A, Guidobaldi HA, Tribulo H, Giojalas LC. Improved bovine in vitro embryo production with sexed and unsexed sperm selected by chemotaxis. Theriogenology 2018; 122:1-8. [PMID: 30199739 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2018.08.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2018] [Revised: 08/24/2018] [Accepted: 08/26/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Assisted reproductive techniques (ART) have been widely used in farm animals in the last decades. Sexed cryopreserved spermatozoa, ovum pick up, in vitro embryo production and transfer constitute the ART that have revolutionized the dairy industry. However, the efficiency of some of these techniques is still low due in part to sperm quality, which influences fertilization, embryo development and implantation. The Sperm Selection Assay (SSA), based on sperm chemotaxis towards progesterone, provides a sperm subpopulation enriched with spermatozoa that are capacitated, with intact DNA and low level of oxidative stress. Since the SSA selects a sperm subpopulation at optimum physiological state, the application of the SSA may improve the efficiency of the current ART. The aim of this study was to adapt the SSA for unsexed and sexed bovine frozen-thawed semen samples, and then to test whether sperm selection by the SSA improves the cleavage rate of bovine embryos in vitro. The optimal SSA conditions to obtain the higher sperm accumulation percentage given by chemotaxis were the same for both unsexed and sexed semen samples. Thus, sperm accumulation in W2 was significantly higher when: 2 million sperm per mL were placed in W1 (unsexed samples: 12 ± 1%, p = 0.002; sexed samples: 14 ± 3%, p = 0.02); 1 pM progesterone was placed in W2 (unsexed sample: 9 ± 1%, p = 0.009; sexed samples: 11 ± 2%, p = 0.02); and to incubate the SSA device for 10 min (unsexed samples: 17 ± 2%, p = 0.007; sexed samples: 10 ± 1%, p = 0.004). We found that the quality of spermatozoa recovered from W2 in unsexed and sexed semen was enhanced. Thus, the capacitation index was significantly increased (unsexed samples: 1.75 ± 0.1, p = 0.0001; sexed samples: 1.76 ± 0.2, p = 0.004), while DNA fragmentation index was significantly decreased (unsexed samples: 0.33 ± 0.07, p = 0.0003; sexed samples: 0.32 ± 0.04, p = 0.002). Moreover, the cleavage index of oocytes fertilized with either unsexed or sexed SSA-selected sperm was significantly improved (unsexed samples: 3.2 ± 0.4, p = 0.0001; sexed samples: 2.3 ± 0.33, p = 0.03). Thus, we show that the SSA can be used to recruit a bovine sperm subpopulation at optimal functional state regardless of whether the sample is previously sexed, and that this optimal state improves bovine embryo cleavage rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esteban Mauricio Dominguez
- Centro de Biologia Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Fisicas y Naturales (FCEFN), Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (UNC), Córdoba, Argentina; Instituto de Investigaciones Biologicas y Tecnologicas, Consejo de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), UNC-FCEFN, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Ayelen Moreno-Irusta
- Centro de Biologia Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Fisicas y Naturales (FCEFN), Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (UNC), Córdoba, Argentina; Instituto de Investigaciones Biologicas y Tecnologicas, Consejo de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), UNC-FCEFN, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Héctor Alejandro Guidobaldi
- Centro de Biologia Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Fisicas y Naturales (FCEFN), Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (UNC), Córdoba, Argentina; Instituto de Investigaciones Biologicas y Tecnologicas, Consejo de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), UNC-FCEFN, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Huberto Tribulo
- Instituto de Reproducción Animal Córdoba, Estación Gral. Paz, Paraje Pozo del Tigre, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Laura Cecilia Giojalas
- Centro de Biologia Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Fisicas y Naturales (FCEFN), Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (UNC), Córdoba, Argentina; Instituto de Investigaciones Biologicas y Tecnologicas, Consejo de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), UNC-FCEFN, Córdoba, Argentina.
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15
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Abstract
Sperm capacitation, the ultimate maturation event preparing mammalian spermatozoa for fertilization, was first described in 1951, yet its regulatory mechanisms remain poorly understood. The capacitation process encompasses an influx of bicarbonate and calcium ions, removal of decapacitating factors, changes of pH and sperm proteasomal activities, and the increased protein tyrosine phosphorylation. Here, we document a novel biological phenomenon of a unique zinc (Zn2+) ion redistribution associated with mammalian sperm in vitro capacitation (IVC). Using image-based flow cytometry (IBFC), we identified four distinct types of sperm zinc ion distribution patterns (further zinc signature) and their changes during IVC. The zinc signature was altered after sperm capacitation, reduced by proteasomal inhibitors, removed by zinc chelators, and maintained with addition of external ZnCl2. These findings represent a fundamental shift in the understanding of mammalian fertilization, paving the way for improved semen analysis, in vitro fertilization (IVF), and artificial insemination (AI). During sperm capacitation physiological changes occur that are required for fertilization. Here, the authors describe four sperm zinc signatures during invitro capacitation that are indicative of sperm quality and capacity to fertilize.
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16
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Yeste M, Bonet S, Rodríguez-Gil JE, Rivera Del Álamo MM. Evaluation of sperm motility with CASA-Mot: which factors may influence our measurements? Reprod Fertil Dev 2018. [DOI: 10.1071/rd17475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Computer-aided sperm analysis (CASA) is now routinely used in IVF clinics, animal breeding centres and research laboratories. Although CASA provides a more objective way to evaluate sperm parameters, a significant number of factors can affect these measurements. This paper classifies these factors into four categories: (1) sample and slide (e.g. preincubation time, type of specimen and type of chamber slide); (2) microscope (e.g. light source and microscope stage); (3) hardware and software, including the settings of each system; and (4) user-related factors. We review the effects of the different factors in each category on the measurements made and emphasise the need to take measures to standardise evaluations. The take-home message of the present article is that there are several commercial and useful CASA systems, and all are appropriate for routine analysis. Non-commercial systems may also be good choices when the user needs to adapt the device to specific experimental conditions. In both cases (commercial and non-commercial), it is important that standard protocols are put in place for evaluation, as well as methods to validate the system.
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