# MicroRNA alterations in sperm of infertile men: Insights into oligozoospermia, asthenozoospermia, and teratozoospermia

## TL;DR

This study explores how changes in specific microRNAs in sperm may help diagnose male infertility issues like low sperm count, poor motility, and abnormal shape.

## Contribution

The study identifies miR-139 and miR-942 as potential biomarkers for diagnosing specific types of male infertility.

## Key findings

- miR-139 levels were elevated in men with asthenozoospermia.
- miR-942 showed high expression in all three infertility groups and had good diagnostic potential.
- miR-34b was higher in teratozoospermia, while miR-296 was lower in all infertility groups.

## Abstract

Male infertility makes up almost 50 % of infertility cases in couples. Contributing factors include urogenital abnormalities, hormone imbalances, and genetic mutations. Current research highlights the important role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in male reproductive health, especially in regulating spermatogenesis. Altered expression of certain miRNAs have been linked to abnormal sperm issues like oligozoospermia (less number of sperm), asthenozoospermia (less sperm motility), and teratozoospermia(abnormal-shaped sperm). In this study, we looked at the potential of four candidate miRNAs, miR-139, miR-34b, miR-296, and miR-942, as biomarkers for male infertility.

Sperm samples were obtained from subjects subdivided into four groups based on seminal criteria including teratozoospermia, oligzoospermia, ashenozoospermia, and normospermia(healthy control). In the sperm samples, RNA was extracted using the TRIzol method. We measured miRNA expression using real-time PCR. The assessment of miR-139, miR-34b, miR-296,and miR-942 as diagnostic tools was analyzed using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC).

The investigation indicated elevated values of miR-139 in the asthenozoospermia, but miR-34b higher in teratozoospermia and miR-942 was observed to be high in all 3 groups, while miR-296 was lower in the three study groups. The motif characteristics of the ROC indicated good diagnostic capabilities for miR-139 and miR-942, as the AUC value was 0.8 (for patients with asthenozoospermia and oligozoospermia group).

The results have shown that miR-139 in asthenozoospermia and miR-942 in oligozoospermia can be new candidate biomarkers for the diagnosis of male infertility. The use of miRNA in the diagnosis process can reveal several aspects of infertility and help to explore potential treatment in a more timely and targeted manner.