QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF CCR5 CHEMOKINE RECEPTOR AND CYTOCHROME P450 AROMATASE TRANSCRIPTS IN SWIM-UP SPERMATOZOA ISOLATED FROM FERTILE AND INFERTILE MEN

Abstract

We determined the CCR5 chemokine receptor and cytochrome P450 aromatase (P450arom) transcript copies number in swim-up sperm isolated from fertile and infertile men. The ejaculates were purified by centrifugation through discontinuous Percoll density gradient and swim-up techniques. RNA was isolated from sperm, treated with DNase I and reverse-transcribed into cDNA. Quantitative analysis of CCR5 and P450arom cDNA were performed by real-time quantitative (RQ-PCR) SYBR Green I analysis. There was a higher content of CCR5 and P450arom transcripts copy number in swim-up sperm of fertile than from infertile donors. The decrease in CCR5 and P450arom transcripts in swim-up sperm may be associated with male infertility.