Peroxiredoxins prevent oxidative stress during human sperm capacitation

<span class="paragraphSection"><div class="boxTitle">Abstract</div><div class="boxTitle">STUDY QUESTION</div>Do peroxiredoxins (PRDXs) control reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels during human sperm capacitation?<div class="boxTitle">SUMMARY ANSWER</div>PRDXs are necessary to control the levels of ROS generated during capacitation allowing spermatozoa to achieve fertilizing ability.<div class="boxTitle">WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY</div>Sperm capacitation is an oxidative event that requires low and controlled amounts of ROS to trigger phosphorylation events. PRDXs are antioxidant enzymes that not only act as scavengers but also control ROS action in somatic cells. Spermatozoa from infertile men have lower levels of PRDXs (particularly of PRDX6), which are thiol-oxidized and therefore inactive.<div class="boxTitle">STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION</div>Semen samples were obtained from a cohort of 20 healthy nonsmoker volunteers aged 22–30 years old over a period of 1 year.<div class="boxTitle">PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTINGS, METHODS</div>Sperm from healthy donors was capacitated with fetal cord serum ultrafiltrate (FCSu) in the absence or presence of thiostrepton (TSP), inhibitor of 2-Cys PRDXs or 1-Hexadecyl-3-(trifluoroethyl)-<span style="font-style:italic;">sn</span>-glycero-2-phosphomethanol lithium (MJ33), inhibitor of calcium independent-phospholipase A<sub>2</sub> (Ca<sup&g...
Source: Molecular Human Reproduction - Category: Molecular Biology Source Type: research