• PMID: 24481955
• Gene Name: miR-15a
• Condition: Varicocele-related sperm impairment, male infertility
• Association: The expressions of miR-15a and HSPA1B exhibited an inverse correlation in sperm. Our results provide a valuable insight into the varicocele-related sperm impairment and male infertility, and may help to develop potential therapeutic targets and novel biom
• Sex: Male
• Infertility type: Male infertility
• Associated genes: miR-15a, HSPA1B
• Other associated phenotypes: Varicocele-related sperm impairment, male infertility

Expressions of miR-15a and its target gene HSPA1B in the spermatozoa of patients with varicocele

Ji Z, Lu R, Mou L, Duan YG, Zhang Q, Wang Y, Gui Y, Cai Z.

Hyperthermia and oxidative stresses are the two central elements contributing to varicocele-related sperm damage. Growing evidence indicates that microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in the regulation of the heat and oxidative stress responses. In this study, we analyzed the expressions of several stress-related miRNAs in the sperm and found that the expression of miR-15a was significantly decreased in patients with varicocele compared with the control. Furthermore, miR-15a repressed the expression of HSPA1B, which is a typical stress-induced chaperone protein, through directly binding its 3'-UTR. The expressions of miR-15a and HSPA1B exhibited an inverse correlation in sperm. Our results provide a valuable insight into the varicocele-related sperm impairment and male infertility, and may help to develop potential therapeutic targets and novel biomarkers for male infertility. FAU - Ji, Ziliang AU - Ji Z AD - Guangdong and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Male Reproductive Medicine and Genetics, Institute of Urology, Shenzhen PKU-HKUST Medical Center, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen 518036, China. FAU - Lu, Ruijing AU - Lu R FAU - Mou, Lisha AU - Mou L FAU - Duan, Yong-Gang AU - Duan YG FAU - Zhang, Qiang AU - Zhang Q FAU - Wang, Yadong AU - Wang Y FAU - Gui, Yaoting AU - Gui Y