The Relationship between The Expression of Sperm MicroRNA-149b and 34c and Sperm Quality in Men with Oligoasthenoteratozoospermia in Endometriosis

Abstract

Background: The objective of this study was to investigate the correlation between the expression levels of spermmicroRNA-149b and 34c and sperm quality in men diagnosed with oligoasthenoteratozoospermia.Materials and Methods: In the experimental study, we recruited 30 infertile men with oligoasthenoteratozoospermiaand 30 control samples. In this study, miR-149b and miR 34c expression using reverse transcription polymerase chainreaction (RT-PCR) were evaluated. Semen samples were collected and subjected to initial analysis, including semenparameters, following the protocol provided by the World Health Organization (WHO). The levels of total antioxidantcapacity (TAC) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured using an ELISA kit.Results: The expression levels of miR-149b and miR-34c were significantly downregulated in men with oligoasthenoteratozoospermiacompared to age-matched normozoospermic men, as determined by RT-qPCR (P=0.001, andP=0.003 respectively). Correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation between the expression levels of miR-149band miR-34c and various sperm parameters, including sperm count, motility, morphology, viability, sperm mitochondrialmembrane potential, sperm capacity, and TAC. Additionally, an inverse correlation was observed between theexpression levels of miR-149b, miR-34c, DNA fragmentation, and MDA levels.Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that the decreased expression of miR-149b and miR-34c is associatedwith oligoasthenoteratozoospermia, potentially affecting fundamental semen parameters. These results provide a basisfor future research aimed at exploring potential therapeutic interventions for male infertility.

Keywords

• oligoasthenoteratozoospermia
• expression analysis
• mir -149b
• mir-34c