Immunocontraceptive properties of recombinant sperm protein DE: implications for the development of novel contraceptives

Diego A. Ellerman; Dolores Busso; Julieta A. Maldera; Patricia S. Cuasnicú

doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2007.02.025

Immunocontraceptive properties of recombinant sperm protein DE: implications for the development of novel contraceptives

Diego A. Ellerman, Dolores Busso, Julieta A. Maldera, Patricia S. Cuasnicú^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

20 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the immunocontraceptive properties of recombinant DE, a sperm epididymal protein involved in fertilization, via an experimental study in rats as a critical step toward the development of a human immunocontraceptive. Design: In vivo study in rats. Setting: Animal care facility of an academic research center. Animal(s): Seventy-four 90-day-old Wistar male and female rats distributed into three groups. Intervention(s): Animals received five injections (intramuscular and subcutaneous) of recombinant DE (recDE), native DE (nDE), or MBP (maltose-binding protein). At various times, animals were anesthetized and bled. Main Outcome Measure(s): Anti-DE levels and tissue specificity of sera were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blot, respectively. Fertility was analyzed by natural mating. The testes and epididymides were analyzed by histology. Result(s): Recombinant DE raised an immune response with the same kinetics and higher anti-DE levels than that elicited by nDE. Sera against recDE recognized epitopes of DE that were different from those recognized by anti-nDE sera but specifically reacted with DE in epididymis and sperm without cross-reacting with other tissues tested. Male and female recDE-injected animals presented a statistically significant reduction in their fertility with no evidence of pathologic effects. Conclusion(s): Recombinant DE is able to both elicit a specific immune response and inhibit male and female fertility, supporting the use of this sperm epididymal protein for the development of an immunocontraceptive approach.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	199-205
Number of pages	7
Journal	Fertility and Sterility
Volume	89
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2007.02.025
State	Published - Jan 2008
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Supported by World Health Organization grant (H9/181/R429) to PSC. DAE, DB and JAM were Research Fellowship recipients from the National Research Council of Argentina (CONICET). PSC is a Research Career Award recipient from CONICET.

Keywords

CRISP
Immunocontraception
epididymis
fertility
sperm

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10.1016/j.fertnstert.2007.02.025

Cite this

@article{f679b4c4e52e45619332a317e38577ad,

title = "Immunocontraceptive properties of recombinant sperm protein DE: implications for the development of novel contraceptives",

abstract = "Objective: To evaluate the immunocontraceptive properties of recombinant DE, a sperm epididymal protein involved in fertilization, via an experimental study in rats as a critical step toward the development of a human immunocontraceptive. Design: In vivo study in rats. Setting: Animal care facility of an academic research center. Animal(s): Seventy-four 90-day-old Wistar male and female rats distributed into three groups. Intervention(s): Animals received five injections (intramuscular and subcutaneous) of recombinant DE (recDE), native DE (nDE), or MBP (maltose-binding protein). At various times, animals were anesthetized and bled. Main Outcome Measure(s): Anti-DE levels and tissue specificity of sera were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blot, respectively. Fertility was analyzed by natural mating. The testes and epididymides were analyzed by histology. Result(s): Recombinant DE raised an immune response with the same kinetics and higher anti-DE levels than that elicited by nDE. Sera against recDE recognized epitopes of DE that were different from those recognized by anti-nDE sera but specifically reacted with DE in epididymis and sperm without cross-reacting with other tissues tested. Male and female recDE-injected animals presented a statistically significant reduction in their fertility with no evidence of pathologic effects. Conclusion(s): Recombinant DE is able to both elicit a specific immune response and inhibit male and female fertility, supporting the use of this sperm epididymal protein for the development of an immunocontraceptive approach.",

keywords = "CRISP, Immunocontraception, epididymis, fertility, sperm",

author = "Ellerman, {Diego A.} and Dolores Busso and Maldera, {Julieta A.} and Cuasnic{\'u}, {Patricia S.}",

note = "Funding Information: Supported by World Health Organization grant (H9/181/R429) to PSC. DAE, DB and JAM were Research Fellowship recipients from the National Research Council of Argentina (CONICET). PSC is a Research Career Award recipient from CONICET. ",

year = "2008",

month = jan,

doi = "10.1016/j.fertnstert.2007.02.025",

language = "English",

volume = "89",

pages = "199--205",

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T1 - Immunocontraceptive properties of recombinant sperm protein DE

T2 - implications for the development of novel contraceptives

AU - Ellerman, Diego A.

AU - Busso, Dolores

AU - Maldera, Julieta A.

AU - Cuasnicú, Patricia S.

N1 - Funding Information: Supported by World Health Organization grant (H9/181/R429) to PSC. DAE, DB and JAM were Research Fellowship recipients from the National Research Council of Argentina (CONICET). PSC is a Research Career Award recipient from CONICET.

PY - 2008/1

Y1 - 2008/1

N2 - Objective: To evaluate the immunocontraceptive properties of recombinant DE, a sperm epididymal protein involved in fertilization, via an experimental study in rats as a critical step toward the development of a human immunocontraceptive. Design: In vivo study in rats. Setting: Animal care facility of an academic research center. Animal(s): Seventy-four 90-day-old Wistar male and female rats distributed into three groups. Intervention(s): Animals received five injections (intramuscular and subcutaneous) of recombinant DE (recDE), native DE (nDE), or MBP (maltose-binding protein). At various times, animals were anesthetized and bled. Main Outcome Measure(s): Anti-DE levels and tissue specificity of sera were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blot, respectively. Fertility was analyzed by natural mating. The testes and epididymides were analyzed by histology. Result(s): Recombinant DE raised an immune response with the same kinetics and higher anti-DE levels than that elicited by nDE. Sera against recDE recognized epitopes of DE that were different from those recognized by anti-nDE sera but specifically reacted with DE in epididymis and sperm without cross-reacting with other tissues tested. Male and female recDE-injected animals presented a statistically significant reduction in their fertility with no evidence of pathologic effects. Conclusion(s): Recombinant DE is able to both elicit a specific immune response and inhibit male and female fertility, supporting the use of this sperm epididymal protein for the development of an immunocontraceptive approach.

AB - Objective: To evaluate the immunocontraceptive properties of recombinant DE, a sperm epididymal protein involved in fertilization, via an experimental study in rats as a critical step toward the development of a human immunocontraceptive. Design: In vivo study in rats. Setting: Animal care facility of an academic research center. Animal(s): Seventy-four 90-day-old Wistar male and female rats distributed into three groups. Intervention(s): Animals received five injections (intramuscular and subcutaneous) of recombinant DE (recDE), native DE (nDE), or MBP (maltose-binding protein). At various times, animals were anesthetized and bled. Main Outcome Measure(s): Anti-DE levels and tissue specificity of sera were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blot, respectively. Fertility was analyzed by natural mating. The testes and epididymides were analyzed by histology. Result(s): Recombinant DE raised an immune response with the same kinetics and higher anti-DE levels than that elicited by nDE. Sera against recDE recognized epitopes of DE that were different from those recognized by anti-nDE sera but specifically reacted with DE in epididymis and sperm without cross-reacting with other tissues tested. Male and female recDE-injected animals presented a statistically significant reduction in their fertility with no evidence of pathologic effects. Conclusion(s): Recombinant DE is able to both elicit a specific immune response and inhibit male and female fertility, supporting the use of this sperm epididymal protein for the development of an immunocontraceptive approach.

KW - CRISP

KW - Immunocontraception

KW - epididymis

KW - fertility

KW - sperm

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SN - 0015-0282

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JO - Fertility and Sterility

JF - Fertility and Sterility

IS - 1

ER -

Immunocontraceptive properties of recombinant sperm protein DE: implications for the development of novel contraceptives

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

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