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Hum. Reprod. Advance Access originally published online on June 24, 2005
Human Reproduction 2005 20(10):2814-2820; doi:10.1093/humrep/dei149
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© The Author 2005. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oupjournals.org

Andrology

Presence of membrane and soluble forms of Fas ligand and of matrilysin (MMP-7) activity in normal and abnormal human semen

A. Riccioli1, V.Dal Secco1, P.De Cesaris2, D. Starace1, L. Gandini3, A. Lenzi3, F. Dondero3, F. Padula1, A. Filippini1 and E. Ziparo1,4

1 Department of Histology and Medical Embryology, Istituto Pasteur-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, 3 Department of Medical Physiopathology, University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’, 00161 Rome and 2 Department of Experimental Medicine, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy

4 To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: elio.ziparo{at}uniroma1.it

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to shed some light on the role of the Fas system in human semen, by investigating whether there is an association between the expression of the molecules regulating the Fas system [membrane-bound Fas ligand (mFasL), soluble Fas ligand (sFasL) and matrilysin, the metalloprotease cleaving mFasL to sFasL] and sperm parameters. METHODS: We investigated, by flow cytometric analysis, the presence of FasL on spermatozoa from normozoospermic and teratozoospermic subjects and, by western blot, the presence of sFasL and matrilysin in the seminal plasma of the same samples as well as on samples from azoospermic subjects. The enzymatic activity of matrilysin was examined by gel zymography. RESULTS: We observed that sperm cells expressed mFasL in 22% of normozoospermic men, whereas it was absent from spermatozoa from teratozoospermic patients. Higher levels of sFasL and augmented enzymatic activity of matrilysin were found in azoospermic samples. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of mFasL on sperm from normozoospermic men and its absence in pathological samples emphasize the role of the Fas system in human semen. Moreover, the presence of both sFasL and matrilysin in seminal plasma implies a fine regulation of the function of the Fas system and, consequently, of the apoptotic process in the human genital tract.

Key words: apoptosis/Fas system/matrilysin/spermatozoa


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