P-68: Adipkines Play Major Roles in Sperm Motility and Function in Ram

Background: Adipose tissue is not only an energy storage tissue but also an important endocrine organ that secretes protein hormones. Among them, the production and secretion of adiponectin is inversely correlated to the severity of obesity. In adipose tissue, adiponectin production is transcriptionally regulated by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ). Obesity is a major health problem. Some studies have shown a relationship between obesity and sub-fertility. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate the gene expression of adiponectin and PPAR-γ in ram spermatozoa and to determine whether sperm motility affects the abundance of mRNAs. Materials and Methods: Semen samples from 6 adult rams were fractionated on a two layer discontinuous percoll gradient to separation high and low motile sperm and quantitative parameters of sperm motility were determined by CASA. Total RNA isolation was carried out on sperm cells. Total RNA was reverse transcribed into cDNA. Then, the levels of Adiponectin and PPAR-γ transcripts were determined by semi quantitative RT-PCR. Results: We showed that ram spermatozoa express Adiponectin and PPARγ, and the amount of expression is associated with sperm motility. There were significant (p<0.05) increase of the relative amounts of Adiponectin and PPARγ mRNAs in high motile sperm group compared to low. Conclusion: We provided a novel evidence for the expression of Adiponectin and PPARγ in spermatozoa which showed that ram spermatozoa express Adiponectin and PPARγ. The amount of relative expression was associated with sperm motility. Since increase in body fat is associated with impaired sperm motility, our finding can help to find the molecular mechanisms which are involved in subfertility caused by obesity.