The interaction between a genetic variant in the NQO1 gene and environmental influences involving coenzyme Q10 has a significant impact on sperm motility

Osamah Batiha; Dina  Hamzeh; Mahmoud  A. Alfaqih; Mothanna Nawafleh; Hala  Khanjar; Esra’a  Al-zoubi

doi:10.23750/abm.v95i5.16314

The interaction between a genetic variant in the NQO1 gene and environmental influences involving coenzyme Q10 has a significant impact on sperm motility

Authors

Osamah Batiha Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Faculty of Science and Arts, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2415-324X
Dina Hamzeh Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Faculty of Science and Arts, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
Mahmoud A. Alfaqih Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Arabian Gulf University, Manama, Bahrain
Mothanna Nawafleh Reproductine Endocrinology and IVF unit, Prince Rashid Ben Al-Hasan Military Hospital, Irbid, Jordan
Hala Khanjar Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Faculty of Science and Arts, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
Esra’a Al-zoubi Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Faculty of Science and Arts, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan

DOI: https://doi.org/10.23750/abm.v95i5.16314

Keywords:

male infertility, asthenozoospermia, coenzyme Q10, NQO1 gene

Abstract

Background and aim: Asthenozoospermia is a condition characterized by reduced sperm motility. Oxidative stress is known to impact sperm parameters, but Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), as an antioxidant, protects sperm from such damage. CoQ10 antioxidant activity requires reduction by the NAD(P) oxidoreductase 1(NQO1) enzyme. This study investigated the association between CoQ10 levels in seminal plasma, the NQO1^P187S variant of the NQO1 gene, and asthenozoospermia risk.

Research Design and Methods: A case-control study that included 127 asthenozoospermic patients and 55 normozoospermic controls was employed. Levels of CoQ10 in seminal plasma were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS)-PCR was used to detect the NQO1^P187S polymorphism.

Results: Asthenozoospemic patients had significantly lower levels of CoQ10 compared to normozoospermic controls (P=0.02). Additionally, asthenozoospermic patients with the CT/TT genotypes had lower levels of CoQ10 than controls carrying the same genotypes of the NQO1^P187Svariant. Regression analysis showed that CT/TT genotype was associated with an 8-fold increase in asthenozoospermia risk (OR=8.57, 95%CI: 2.09-3517, P=.003). Furthermore, a 1-unit increase in CoQ10 levels in participants with the CT/TT genotype was associated with a 3% reduction in asthenozoospermia risk.

Conclusion: This study is the first in Jordan to provide evidence that an association between asthenozoospermia and CoQ10 levels in seminal plasma is influenced by the genetic background. CoQ10 protective role is affected by genetic variations of the NQO1^P187S. This finding highlights an interaction between genetic and environmental factors in determining the risk of asthenozoospermia.

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