Exploration of Four MicroRNA Expressions (miR-371a-3p, miR-34c-5p, miR-146b-5p, and miR-199a-3p) in the Seminal Plasma of Asthenozoospermic Infertile Tunisian Patients

Abstract

Asthenozoospermia (ASZ) is a semen condition characterized by reduced sperm motility; it is observed in ~40% of male infertility cases, and it is related to various factors including genetic and epigenetic factors such as microRNAs (miRNAs). Although miRNAs play a crucial role in spermatogenesis, their function in seminal plasma and their relationship with ASZ remain largely unknown, with a considerable amount of controversial and contradictory data. This study aimed to explore the expression variation of miRNAs (miR-371a-3p, miR-34c-5p, miR-146b-5p, and miR-199a-3p) in relation to ASZ. We collected seminal plasma samples from Tunisian infertile patients with ASZ (progressive sperm motility <32%) and without ASZ (normospermic patients) and performed quantitative real-time PCR to identify differentially expressed miRNAs. Three miRNAs showed dysregulated expression in the seminal plasma of patients with ASZ (miR-34c-5p, miR-146b-5p, and miR-199a-3p). Two miRNAs were upregulated (miR-34c-5p and miR-146b-5p; p < 0.05), while miR-199a-3p was downregulated (p < 0.05) compared to patients without ASZ. The expression levels of miR-199a-3p and miR-34c-5p were significantly correlated with sperm motility and vitality percentage with an area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (area under the curve [AUC]) of 0.75 and 0.71, respectively. These findings indicate that the three miRNAs (miR-34c-5p, miR-146b-5p, and miR-199a-3p) are implicated in the etiology of ASZ and could be recognized as potential indicators of disrupted sperm function and male infertility.