Osteocacin favours the expression of synaptonemal complex protein 3 in azoospermic mouse model

Abstract

Objective Infertility is the inability to conceive after regular unprotected sex for more than 1 year without the use of contraceptive.Azoospermia is defined as an absence of fertile sperm in seminal fluid. Men with azoospermia will guide the formulation of a therapeutic plan. Uncarboxylated form of the osteocalcin (OCN) modulates fertility. In this study, we investigated the role of osteocalcin on SYCP3 expression in azoospermic mouse model.Methods Male mice (NMRI) ranging in age from 4 to 6 weeks (25 ± 5 g) were randomly divided into five groups (in all groups n = 5), Control, Sham I, Sham II, azoospermic model and azoospermic experimental OCN (3 ng/g/day) treated groups. At the end of the treatment period, (15th week age) the mice were sacrificed, left testes removed, weighted and put in fixative for morphology and IHC technique.Results Testis weight was reduced in azoospermic and azoospermic OCN treated group compared with Control and Sham groups, but in azoospermic OCN treated group is more than azoospermic mice (P ≤ 0.05). Daily injections of OCN improved spermatogenesis and SYCP3 expression in azoospermic OCN treated mice but not in azoospermic model.Conclusion Our results suggests that the osteocalcin overexpressed SYCP3 expression and improved spermatogenesis.