OBJECTIVE: To study the mechanism leading to elevated semen cytokines in men with spinal cord injury (SCI) and to understand if inflammasome pathways are involved in this process. To investigate inflammasome components and end-product cytokines in semen of SCI and control subjects. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: Major university medical center. PATIENT(S): Men with and without SCI (n = 28 per group). INTERVENTION(S): None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Seminal plasma concentrations of caspase-1, interleukin (IL) 1β, and IL-18 were quantified by ELISA. Caspase-1 in sperm fractions and apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase activation and recruitment domain (ASC) in seminal plasma and sperm fractions were identified by Western blot. Localization of proteins in sperm was accomplished by immunocytochemistry. RESULT(S): ASC, caspase-1, IL-1β, and IL-18 concentrations were elevated in the seminal plasma of SCI subjects compared with control subjects. ASC and caspase-1 were elevated in sperm cells of SCI subjects. Immunocytochemistry revealed that ASC was located in the acrosome, equatorial segment, and midpiece, and caspase-1 in the midpiece. CONCLUSION(S): This study provides the first evidence of ASC in human semen and demonstrates the involvement of inflammasome proteins in semen of men with SCI. These findings suggest an immunologic basis for abnormal semen quality in men with SCI.
OBJECTIVE: To study the mechanism leading to elevated semen cytokines in men with spinal cord injury (SCI) and to understand if inflammasome pathways are involved in this process. To investigate inflammasome components and end-product cytokines in semen of SCI and control subjects. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: Major university medical center. PATIENT(S): Men with and without SCI (n = 28 per group). INTERVENTION(S): None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Seminal plasma concentrations of caspase-1, interleukin (IL) 1β, and IL-18 were quantified by ELISA. Caspase-1 in sperm fractions and apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase activation and recruitment domain (ASC) in seminal plasma and sperm fractions were identified by Western blot. Localization of proteins in sperm was accomplished by immunocytochemistry. RESULT(S): ASC, caspase-1, IL-1β, and IL-18 concentrations were elevated in the seminal plasma of SCI subjects compared with control subjects. ASC and caspase-1 were elevated in sperm cells of SCI subjects. Immunocytochemistry revealed that ASC was located in the acrosome, equatorial segment, and midpiece, and caspase-1 in the midpiece. CONCLUSION(S): This study provides the first evidence of ASC in human semen and demonstrates the involvement of inflammasome proteins in semen of men with SCI. These findings suggest an immunologic basis for abnormal semen quality in men with SCI.
Authors: Mariana Camargo; Emad Ibrahim; Teodoro C Aballa; Karina H M Cardozo; Valdemir M Carvalho; Charles M Lynne; Nancy L Brackett; Ricardo P Bertolla Journal: J Spinal Cord Med Date: 2020-02-11 Impact factor: 1.985
Authors: Frank J Brand; Mahtab Forouzandeh; Harmanpreet Kaur; Francesco Travascio; Juan Pablo de Rivero Vaccari Journal: J Inflamm (Lond) Date: 2016-08-24 Impact factor: 4.981