Skip Navigation



Hum. Reprod. Advance Access published online on June 24, 2005
Human Reproduction, doi:10.1093/humrep/dei149
This Article
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF ) Freely available
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
20/10/2814    most recent
dei149v1
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Riccioli, A.
Right arrow Articles by Ziparo, E.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Riccioli, A.
Right arrow Articles by Ziparo, E.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© The Author 2005. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved.
Received December 22, 2005
Revised April 26, 2005
Accepted May 19, 2005

Article

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

A. Riccioli 1, V. Dal Secco 1, P. De Cesaris 2, D. Starace 1, L. Gandini 3, A. Lenzi 3, F. Dondero 3, F. Padula 1, A. Filippini 1, and E. Ziparo 1*

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

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


  Abstract

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 cleavingmFasL 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.

Keywords: apoptosis/Fas system/matrilysin/spermatozoa.
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Biol. Reprod.Home page
F. Yasuhara, G. R. O. Gomes, E. R. Siu, C. I. Suenaga, E. Marostica, C. S. Porto, and M. F. M. Lazari
Effects of the Antiestrogen Fulvestrant (ICI 182,780) on Gene Expression of the Rat Efferent Ductules
Biol Reprod, September 1, 2008; 79(3): 432 - 441.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.