Published date: Jan 25 2021

Journal Title: International Journal of Reproductive BioMedicine

Issue title: International Journal of Reproductive BioMedicine (IJRM): Volume 19, Issue No. 1

Pages: 23–34

DOI: 10.18502/ijrm.v19i1.8177

Reza NajafipourResearch Institute for Prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases, Cellular and Molecular Research Centre, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran

Abdolmabood MomeniBiology Department, School of Basic Science, Arak University, Arak, Iran

Farideh YousefipourNational Institute of Engineering and Biotechnology, Tehran, Iran

Shaghayegh MousaviDepartment of Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran

Sahar Moghbelinejadsmoghbelinejad@qums.ac.irResearch Institute for Prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases, Cellular and Molecular Research Centre, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran

Background: Post-transcriptional microRNAs (miRNAs) have an important pattern in the spermatogenesis process.

Objective: Study of the expression and methylation of hsa-miR-449 family in sperm samples of infertile men.

Materials and Methods: In this case-control study, we recruited 74 infertile men (with asthenozoospermia, teratozoospermia, asthenoteratozoospermia, and oligoasthenoteratozoospermia) and 30 control samples. Methylation-specific PCR (MSP) method was used for methylation evaluation of hsa-miR-449 a, b, c promoter. By Real time PCR (qRT-PCR) method,we showed downregulation of hsa-miR-449 a, b, c in the sperm samples of infertile men and compared it to their fertile counterparts.

Results: There was significant underexperssion, in hsa-miR-449-b in oligoasthenoteratospermic samples (p = 0.0001, F = 2.9). About the methylation pattern, infertile men showed high frequency of methylation in the promoter of hsa-miR-449 a, b, c in comparison to controls (60.8% vs 23.3%), the highest amount of methylation was observed in oligoasthenoteratospermia samples (81.2%).

Conclusion: In this study, low expression and high methylation of hsa-miR-449-b were observed in infertile men in compared to control samples, which can be one of the causes of defective spermatogenesis.

Key words: Spermatogenesis, miR-449, Expression, Epigenetic.

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