Lauro González-Fernández

Melatonin reduces lipid peroxidation and apoptotic‐like changes in stallion spermatozoa

Abstract:  Lipid peroxidation (LPO) has been claimed as a major factor involved in stallion damage during storage or cryopreservation. Because melatonin is a well‐known potent antioxidant, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of melatonin during in vitro incubation. Furthermore, we investigated the presence of specific melatonin receptors (MT1 and MT2) using specific polyclonal antibodies and western blotting. Stallion spermatozoa were incubated up to 3 hr at 37°C in the presence of different concentrations of melatonin (0, 50 pm, 100 pm, 200 pm, or 1 μm). At the beginning and at the end of the incubation period, sperm motility (using computer‐assisted sperm analysis), membrane integrity and permeability, fluidity of the sperm membrane, LPO, and mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm) were flow cytometrically evaluated. Melatonin reduced changes in the spermatozoa related to apoptosis (increased sperm membrane permeability and lowered Δψm) (P < 0.05). Furthermore, LPO was dramatically reduced (P < 0.01) while no effect was observed on sperm motility or kinematics. Interestingly, melatonin helped maintain a more fluid sperm plasmalemma (P < 0.05). Our results clearly show the absence of MT1 and MT2 receptors in the stallion spermatozoa. It is concluded that melatonin is a useful tool to improve the quality of stored stallion sperm, increasing their life span and reducing premature aging, this likely relates to melatonin’s antioxidant properties.

Centrifugation on a single layer of colloid selects improved quality spermatozoa from frozen-thawed stallion semen.

The present study attempted to select the subpopulation of stallion spermatozoa that best survived a conventional freezing and thawing procedure, using centrifugation of post-thawed semen samples through a single layer of a glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane-coated silica colloid with a species-specific formulation (Androcoll-E). Sperm motility, sperm chromatin structure, membrane integrity and mitochondrial membrane potential were studied in filtered and non-filtered spermatozoa. Single-layer centrifugation (SLC) using Androcoll-E significantly improved all the sperm parameters studied, implying SLC may be a simple approach to improve the quality of frozen-thawed (FT) spermatozoa for AI.

Identification of Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases and Dual-Specificity Phosphatases in Mammalian Spermatozoa and Their Role in Sperm Motility and Protein Tyrosine Phosphorylation

Abstract Protein tyrosine kinases have important roles in spermatozoa; however, little is known about the presence and regulation in these cells of their counterparts in signaling, namely, protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) and dual-specificity phosphatases (DSPs). The objectives of the present study were to identify PTPs and DSPs in boar, stallion, and dog spermatozoa; to characterize their subcellular distribution; and to investigate the roles of tyrosine phosphatases in maintenance of protein tyrosine phosphorylation level and in sperm motility. Using Western blotting with specific antibodies in boar and stallion sperm lysates, we unequivocally identified two PTPs (PTPRB and PTPN11) and two DSPs (DUSP3 and DUSP4). In dog sperm lysates, only PTPN11, DUSP3, and DUSP4 were detected. In all these species, we did not detect the specific signal with anti-PTPRC (CD45), CDKN3, DUSP1, DUSP2, DUSP6, DUSP9, PTPN1, PTPN3, PTPN6, PTPN7, PTPN13, PTPRA, PTPRG, PTPRJ, PTPRK, or PTPRZ antibodies. Positive matches were further investigated by indirect immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy. Results showed that PTPRB was associated with the plasma membrane in the head and tail of boar and stallion spermatozoa. In agreement with Western blotting results, PTPRB antibodies did not show immunoreactivity in dog sperm analyzed by immunofluorescence. In the three species, DUSP4 was mainly found in the tail of spermatozoa, with little or no immunoreactivity in the head. PTPN11 was mainly located in the postacrosomal region in the head, whereas DUSP3 immunoreactivity was extended within the acrosome. PTPN11 and DUSP3 showed immunoreactivity in the tail that was restricted to the midpiece. Finally, we incubated boar, stallion, and dog spermatozoa with pervanadate and sodium orthovanadate, two PTP inhibitors, and analyzed overall protein tyrosine phosphorylation and assessed sperm motility. Sodium orthovanadate and pervanadate showed concentration-dependent inhibition of sperm motility that was rapid and reversible. Pervanadate also increased tyrosine phosphorylation of different proteins in capacitated and noncapacitated spermatozoa. Results showed that the phosphatases PTPN11, DUSP4, and DUSP3 are present in boar, stallion, and dog spermatozoa. PTPRB is also present in boar and stallion spermatozoa but was not detected in dog. The subcellular distribution of the identified phosphatases is diverse, suggesting that they likely have specific roles in sperm. Finally, PTP activity has a positive role in the regulation of motility and is involved in protein tyrosine phosphorylation in mammalian sperm.

Identification of sperm subpopulations in stallion ejaculates: changes after cryopreservation and comparison with traditional statistics.

In an attempt to improve the information obtained after computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA), data from five stallions (three ejaculates from each) were analysed before (fresh, extended semen) and after cryopreservation using traditional statistics as well as a cluster analysis. The data matrix consisted of 13 987 observations of individual spermatozoa for fresh, extended semen, and 8305 for frozen-thawed samples. As expected, freezing and thawing resulted in a marked decrease of CASA-derived variables of sperm kinematics. All sperm velocities were significantly lower in frozen-thawed samples than in samples before cooling. Using sperm velocities, six sperm subpopulations were identified in fresh semen (S1-S6). As such, subpopulations S1 and S2 were characterized by low sperm velocities, subpopulations S3 and S4 corresponded to spermatozoa depicting medium speed values, and finally, subpopulations S5 and S6 were those depicting the highest velocities. After freezing and thawing, four sperm subpopulations were identified, listed as nr FT1 to FT4. While subpopulations FT1-FT3 were characterized by low sperm velocities, and thus corresponded speed-wise to those listed as S1-S4 for fresh, extended semen, the one called number FT4 in frozen semen was characterized by high velocities, of the same range as that of the subpopulations S5 and S6 for fresh spermatozoa. The sperm subpopulation structure varied among stallions, but the cluster analysis hereby assayed was able to provide valuable information about the freezability of the samples that the customary statistics did not reveal.

Gastrointestinal growth factors and hormones have divergent effects on Akt activation

Akt is a central regulator of apoptosis, cell growth and survival. Growth factors and some G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) regulate Akt. Whereas growth-factor activation of Akt has been extensively studied, the regulation of Akt by GPCRs, especially gastrointestinal hormones/neurotransmitters, remains unclear. To address this area, in this study the effects of GI growth factors and hormones/neurotransmitters were investigated in rat pancreatic acinar cells which are high responsive to these agents. Pancreatic acini expressed Akt and 5 of 7 known pancreatic growth-factors stimulate Akt phosphorylation (T308, S473) and translocation. These effects are mediated by p85 phosphorylation and activation of PI3K. GI hormones increasing intracellular cAMP had similar effects. However, GI-hormones/neurotransmitters [CCK, bombesin, carbachol] activating phospholipase C (PLC) inhibited basal and growth-factor-stimulated Akt activation. Detailed studies with CCK, which has both physiological and pathophysiological effects on pancreatic acinar cells at different concentrations, demonstrated CCK has a biphasic effect: at low concentrations (pM) stimulating Akt by a Src-dependent mechanism and at higher concentrations (nM) inhibited basal and stimulated Akt translocation, phosphorylation and activation, by de-phosphorylating p85 resulting in decreasing PI3K activity. This effect required activation of both limbs of the PLC-pathway and a protein tyrosine phosphatase, but was not mediated by p44/42 MAPK, Src or activation of a serine phosphatase. Akt inhibition by CCK was also found in vivo and in Panc-1 cancer cells where it inhibited serum-mediated rescue from apoptosis. These results demonstrate that GI growth factors as well as gastrointestinal hormones/neurotransmitters with different cellular basis of action can all regulate Akt phosphorylation in pancreatic acinar cells. This regulation is complex with phospholipase C agents such as CCK, because both stimulatory and inhibitory effects can be seen, which are mediated by different mechanisms.

Cleavage of focal adhesion proteins and PKCδ during lovastatin‐induced apoptosis in spontaneously immortalized rat brain neuroblasts

We have previously shown that lovastatin induces apoptosis in spontaneously immortalized rat brain neuroblasts. Focal adhesion proteins and protein kinase Cδ (PKCδ) have been implicated in the regulation of apoptosis. We found that lovastatin exposure induced focal adhesion kinase, Crk‐associated substrate (p130Cas), PKCδ cleavage and caspase‐3 activation in a concentration‐dependent manner. Lovastatin effects were fully prevented by mevalonate. The cleavage of p130Cas was almost completely inhibited by z‐DEVD‐fmk, a specific caspase‐3 inhibitor, and z‐VAD‐fmk, a broad spectrum caspase inhibitor, indicating that cleavage is mediated by caspase‐3. In contrast, the lovastatin‐induced cleavage of PKCδ was only blocked by z‐VAD‐fmk suggesting that PKCδ cleavage is caspase‐dependent but caspase‐3‐independent. Additionally, z‐VAD‐fmk partially prevented lovastatin‐induced neuroblast apoptosis. The present data show that lovastatin may induce neuroblast apoptosis by both caspase‐dependent and independent pathways. These findings may suggest that the caspase‐dependent component leading to the neuroblast cell death is likely to involve the cleavage of focal adhesion proteins and PKCδ, which may be partially responsible for some biochemical features of neuroblast apoptosis induced by lovastatin.

Calmodulin inhibitors increase the affinity of Merocyanine 540 for boar sperm membrane under non-capacitating conditions

We aimed to test whether the calmodulin (CaM) inhibitors, calmidazolium (CZ) and N-(6-aminohexyl)-5-chloro-1-naphthalenesulfonamide (W-7), can be used to assess lipid disorder by flow cytometry using Merocyanine 540 (M540). Boar spermatozoa were incubated in non-capacitating conditions for 10 min at room temperature with 1 μM CZ, 200 μM W-7, or 1 mM 8-bromoadenosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate (8-Br-cAMP). Then, sperm were 1) directly evaluated, 2) centrifuged and washed prior to evaluation, or 3) diluted with PBS prior to evaluation. Direct evaluation showed an increase in high M540 fluorescence in spermatozoa treated with the inhibitors (4.7 ± 1.8 [control] vs. 70.4 ± 4.0 [CZ] and 71.4 ± 4.2 [W-7], mean % ± SD, P < 0.001); washing decreased the percentage of sperm showing high M540 fluorescence for W-7 (4.8 ± 2.2, mean % ± SD) but not for CZ (69.4 ± 3.9, mean % ± SD, P < 0.001), and dilution showed an increase in high M540 fluorescence for both CZ and W-7; 8-Br-cAMP did not induce a rise in sperm showing high M540 fluorescence. Therefore, special care must be taken when M540 is used in spermatozoa with CaM inhibitors.

AMPK Function in Mammalian Spermatozoa

AMP-activated protein kinase AMPK regulates cellular energy by controlling metabolism through the inhibition of anabolic pathways and the simultaneous stimulation of catabolic pathways. Given its central regulator role in cell metabolism, AMPK activity and its regulation have been the focus of relevant investigations, although only a few studies have focused on the AMPK function in the control of spermatozoa’s ability to fertilize. This review summarizes the known cellular roles of AMPK that have been identified in mammalian spermatozoa. The involvement of AMPK activity is described in terms of the main physiological functions of mature spermatozoa, particularly in the regulation of suitable sperm motility adapted to the fluctuating extracellular medium, maintenance of the integrity of sperm membranes, and the mitochondrial membrane potential. In addition, the intracellular signaling pathways leading to AMPK activation in mammalian spermatozoa are reviewed. We also discuss the role of AMPK in assisted reproduction techniques, particularly during semen cryopreservation and preservation (at 17 °C). Finally, we reinforce the idea of AMPK as a key signaling kinase in spermatozoa that acts as an essential linker/bridge between metabolism energy and sperm’s ability to fertilize.

HSP90 maintains boar spermatozoa motility and mitochondrial membrane potential during heat stress

Heat Shock Proteins (HSP) is a family of proteins that protects cells from high temperatures. The present work aimed to elucidate the role that HSP90 exerts on boar sperm incubated under heat stress conditions on viability, total motility (TM), progressive motility (PM), acrosome status, mitochondrial membrane potential and plasma membrane lipid organization. Sperm were incubated in non-capacitating conditions (Tyrodes basal medium or TBM) for 3, 8 and 24h or in capacitating conditions (Tyrodes complete medium or TCM) for 4h at 38.5°C or 40°C (Heat stress) in the presence or absence of 5 or 20μM of 17-AAG, a specific HSP90 inhibitor. Sperm viability was not affected by the presence of 17-AAG in any condition tested compared with its own control (at the same temperature and incubation time). In non-capacitating conditions TM (22.7±4.1 vs. 1.9±1.1; % mean±SEM), PM (3.1±0.9 vs. 0) and high mitochondrial membrane potential (19.5±2.2 vs. 11.8±0.8) decreased significantly in sperm incubated at 40°C for 24h in the presence of 20μM 17-AAG (control vs. 20μM 17-AAG, respectively; p<0.05). In sperm incubated at 38.5°C only a mild decrease in TM was observed (48.7±3.1 vs. 32.1±4.8; control vs. 20μM 17-AAG, respectively; p<0.05). However, under capacitating conditions none of the sperm parameters studied were affected by 17-AAG after 4h of incubation. These results demonstrate for the first time the role of HSP90 in the maintenance of boar sperm motility and mitochondrial membrane potential during prolonged heat stress in non-capacitating conditions.