Aquaporin-7-Mediated Glycerol Permeability Is Linked to Human Sperm Motility in Asthenozoospermia and during Sperm Capacitation.

ABSTRACT: Osmoregulation plays a vital role in sperm function, encompassing spermatogenesis, maturation, and fertilization. Aquaglyceroporins, a subclass of aquaporins (AQPs), facilitate the transport of water and glycerol across the sperm membrane, with glycerol serving as an important substrate for sperm bioenergetics. This study aimed to elucidate the significance of AQP-mediated glycerol permeability in sperm motility. The presence and localization of AQP3 and AQP7 in human sperm were assessed using immunofluorescence. Subsequently, the glycerol permeability of spermatozoa obtained from normozoospermic individuals (n = 30) was measured, using stopped-flow light scattering, after incubation with specific aquaporin inhibitors targeting AQP3 (DFP00173), AQP7 (Z433927330), or general aquaglyc

SUBMITTER: Ribeiro JC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10416866 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature