• PMID: 27612872
• Gene Name: PLCZ1
• Condition: Varicocele, Male subfertility
• Association: Associated
• Population size: 55
• Population details: 55 (35 individuals with male factor infertility presenting primary infertility with grade II and III unilateral varicocele, 20 fertile men without varicocele)
• Sex: Male
• Infertility type: Male infertility
• Other associated phenotypes: Varicocele, Male subfertility

An association between sperm PLC? levels and varicocele?

Janghorban-Laricheh E, Ghazavi-Khorasgani N, Tavalaee M, Zohrabi D, Abbasi H, Nasr-Esfahani MH.

PURPOSE: We aimed to compare the expression of phospholipase C ζ (PLCζ), as one of the main sperm factors involved in oocyte activation, at both RNA and protein levels in fertile men and those with varicocele. METHODS: This study included 35 individuals with male factor infertility presenting primary infertility with grade II and III unilateral varicocele and 20 fertile men without varicocele. Semen parameters were assessed according to WHO 2010. Sperm DNA fragmentation, relative expression of PLCζ at messenger RNA, and protein levels were evaluated by sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA), real-time PCR, and Western blot analysis, respectively. RESULTS: The results of this study reveal that the mean relative expression of PLCζ was significantly lower in individuals with varicocele compared to fertile men at both transcription and translation levels. In addition, the percentage of DNA fragmentation was significantly higher in infertile men with varicocele compared to fertile men. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the present study illustrate that one of the etiologies of reduced fertility associated with varicocele is the low expression of PLCζ. This effect could subsequently reduce the sperm ability to induce oocyte activation. Therefore, these results hold promise to modify our understanding of reproductive physiology of varicocele state. FAU - Janghorban-Laricheh, Elham AU - Janghorban-Laricheh E AD - Department of Reproductive Biotechnology, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Biotechnology, ACECR, Isfahan, Iran. AD - Department of Biology, Nourdanesh Institute of Higher Education, Meymeh, Isfahan, Iran. FAU - Ghazavi-Khorasgani, Nasim AU - Ghazavi-Khorasgani N AD - Department of Reproductive Biotechnology, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Biotechnology, ACECR, Isfahan, Iran. AD - Department of Biology, Nourdanesh Institute of Higher Education, Meymeh, Isfahan, Iran. FAU - Tavalaee, Marziyeh AU - Tavalaee M AD - Department of Reproductive Biotechnology, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Biotechnology, ACECR, Isfahan, Iran. FAU - Zohrabi, Dina AU - Zohrabi D AD - Department of Biology, Nourdanesh Institute of Higher Education, Meymeh, Isfahan, Iran. FAU - Abbasi, Homayon AU - Abbasi H AD - Isfahan Fertility and Infertility Center, Isfahan, Iran.