Cui-Ge Shi^*, Kai Lin, Xiang-Bo Xu, Shu-Cheng Zhang, Ning Wang, Ming Fan

Show more
Department of Cell Biology, National Research Institute of Family Planning, Beijing, China.
Clinic Laboratory Center, Air Force General Hospital, Beijing, China.
Department of Brain Protection and Plasticity, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
Show less

Abstract: Motility is an important physiological characteristic of a mature sperm. Nerve growth factor (NGF) is a key protein for the survival, maintenance and development of the central and peripheral nervous systems. It has been shown that NGF and its receptors TrkA and p75 are widely expressed in the testis, accessory reproductive organ, and the epididymal sperms. These observation have shifted the attention to the role of NGF on male reproductive physiology. In the present study, we found that NGF remarkably increased testicular coefficient in rats subjected to unpredictable chronic mild stress. Furthermore, we investigated the role of NGF on human sperm motility in vitro by CASA. The results showed that the parameters of sperm motility after NGF treatment had significantly increased, the means of VAP, VSL, VCL, BCF and LIN were significantly increased 32% than those of NGF absence, the means of MAD, STR, ALH and WOB had no notable difference. In addition, NGF promotes the sperm motility in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Taken together, our findings suggest that NGF plays a promoted role in sperm motility.

Keywords: NGF; Fertility; Testis; Sperm Motility

Cite this paper: Shi, C. , Lin, K. , Xu, X. , Zhang, S. , Wang, N. and Fan, M. (2012) Evidence for the involvement of NGF in human sperm motility. Journal of Biomedical Science and Engineering, 5, 534-541. doi: 10.4236/jbise.2012.59066.

References

[1]   Pardon, M.C. (2010) Role of neurotrophic factors in behavioral processes: Implications for the treatment of psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. Vitamins & Hormones, 82, 185-200. doi:10.1016/S0083-6729(10)82010-2

[2]   Spinnler, K., K?hn, F.M., Schwarzer, U. and Mayerhofer, A. (2010) Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor is constitutively produced by human testicular peritubular cells and may contribute to the spermatogonial stem cell niche in man. Human Reproduction, 25, 2181-2187. doi:10.1093/humrep/deq170

[3]   Jin, W., Tanaka, A., Watanabe, G., Matsuda, H. and Taya, K. (2010) Effect of NGF on the motility and acrosome reaction of golden hamster spermatozoa in vitro. Journal of Reproduction and Development, 56, 437-443. doi:10.1262/jrd.09-219N

[4]   Manca, A., Capsoni, S., Di Luzio, A., et al. (2012) Nerve growth factor regulates axial rotation during early stages of chick embryo development. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of USA, 7109, 2009-2014. doi:10.1073/pnas.1121138109

[5]   Gnessi, L., Fabbri, A. and Spera, G. (1997) Gonadal peptides as mediators of development and functional control of the testis: An integrated system with hormones and local environment. Endocrine Reviews, 18, 541-609. doi:10.1210/er.18.4.541

[6]   Artico, M., Bronzetti, E., Saso, L., et al. (2007). Immuno-histochemical profile of some neuro-transmitters and neuro-trophins in the seminiferous tubules of rats treated by lonidamine. European Journal of Histochemistry, 51, 19-24.

[7]   Perrard, M.H., Vigier, M., Damestoy, A., et al. (2007) Beta-Nerve growth factor participates in an auto/paracrine pathway of regulation of the meiotic differentiation of rat spermatocytes. Journal of Cellular Physiology, 210, 51-62. doi:10.1002/jcp.20805

[8]   Jin, C.W., Arai, K.Y., Shimizu, K., et al. (2006) Cellular localization of NGF and its receptors trkA and p75LNGFR in male reproductive organs of the Japanese monkey, Macaca fuscata fuscata. Endocrine, 29, 155-160. doi:10.1385/ENDO:29:1:155

[9]   Levanti, M.B., Germanà, A., de Carlos, F., et al. (2006). Effects of increased nerve growth factor plasma levels on the expression of TrkA and p75 in rat testicles. Journal of Anatomy, 208, 373-379. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7580.2006.00528.x

[10]   Spinnler, K., Fr?hlich, T., Arnold, G.J., et al. (2011) Human tryptase cleaves pro-nerve growth factor (pro-NGF): Hints of local, mast cell-dependent regulation of NGF/ pro-NGF action. The Journal of Biological Chemistry, 286, 31707-31713. doi:10.1074/jbc.M111.233486

[11]   Hou, Y., Bao, X.Q., Wei, H.L., Luo, Y. and Liu, G.T. (2011) Long-term deprivation of gonadal hormone accelerates brain aging in mice. Research on Neurology, 33, 43-49. doi:10.1179/016164110X12700393823499

[12]   Calzà, L., Giardino, L, Aloe, L. (1997) NGF content and expression in the rat pituitary gland and regulation by thyroid hormone. Molecular Brain Research, 51, 60-68. doi:10.1016/S0169-328X(97)00213-1

[13]   Koeva, Y.A. (2002) Immunolocalization of neurotrophic factors and their receptors in the Leydig cells of rat during postnatal development. Folia Medica (Plovdiv), 44, 27-31.

[14]   Parvinen, M., Pelto-Huikko, M., S?der, O.S., et al. (1992) Expression of beta-nerve growth factor and its receptor in rat seminiferous epithelium: Specific function at the onset of meiosis. The Journal of Cell Biology, 117, 629-641. doi:10.1083/jcb.117.3.629

[15]   Kim, S.T., Park, N.C., Yi, L.S. and Gye, M.C. (2006). Expression of p57kip2 in germ cells and Leydig cells in human testis. Archives of Andrology, 52, 463-469. doi:10.1080/01485010600822903

[16]   Grabham, P.W., Foley, M., Umeojiako, A. and Goldberg, D.J. (2000) Nerve growth factor stimulates coupling of beta1 integrin to distinct transport mechanisms in the filopodia of growth cones. Journal of Cell Science, 113, 3003-1302.