The Expression of Progesterone and Estrogen Receptors in Testicular Tissue among Obstructive and Non-obstructive Azoospermia

Abstract

Azoospermia is the medical condition of a male not having any measurable level of sperm in his semen (Jarvi et al., 2010). Testicular biopsy remains the oldest and most informative diagnostic modality to differentiate between obstructive and nonobstructive azoospermia. Normal Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) level may be observed in patients with testicular dysfunction while significantly elevated FSH does not indicate complete absence of the spermatogenesis (Han et al., 2009). It is well known that progesteroneand estrogen have been discovered to take partin both the genomic (classic) and nongenomic (non-classic) signaling pathways, which causerapid effects in different cell types including spermatozoaand the classic actions (Luconi et al., 2004). Two kinds of ER (ERα and ERb) have been discoveredso far in the human male reproductive tract. ERb locatesmainly in somatic cells and/or primaryspermatocytes. Itspolymorphism is associated with male infertility (Aschim et al., 2004; Aschim et al., 2005). The classic PR-A (90 KDa) and PR-B (120 KDa) and the membrane-bound PR (55 KDa) have all been detected in the human testes (Shah et al, 2005). The stage-specific expression of PR is most restricted to the spermatogenic cells and Sertoli cells in the testis (Shah et al., 2005). Our study shows ER expression in every group of azoospermic patients either obstructive and non-obstructive azoospermia. Expression of these receptors in various cellular component indicates function of both estrogen and progesterone in spermatogenesis and spermiogenesis. Immunohistochemistry, immunoblotting and immunoflorecence are different ways while only immunoflorecence gives very high sensitivity while sensitivity of immunoblotting is the least of all. By detection of receptors in testicular tissue with variable degree in different cells new modalities of treatment could open a new hope for infertile couple mostly if expression of receptors shows high intensity in Sertoli and germ cells.