| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2062396 | Reproductive Biology | 2015 | 6 Pages |
Carnitine is an important factor in the initiation of progressive sperm motility and end stage of sperm maturation. The compound is transported by an organic cation/carnitine transporter (OCTN2), which is expressed in the male reproductive system. OCTN2 is encoded by SLC22A5 gene with proven −207C>G functional polymorphism. The aim of the case–control study was to investigate a potential association between the −207C>G SLC22A5 polymorphism and male infertility. The −207C>G SLC22A5 polymorphism was determined by means of TaqMan assay in 206 infertile Caucasian males and 256 ethnically matched controls. Besides genotyping study, sperm mitochondrial function was assessed using NADH-dependent NBT assay. The distribution of SLC22A5 genotypes in infertile men was as follows: CC – 29.6%, CG – 53.9%, GG – 16.5% and in fertile men: CC – 32.0%, CG – 50.0%, GG – 18.0%, and was comparable in both evaluated groups. Likewise, the studied polymorphism did not affect sperm mitochondrial function. The results of the current study demonstrated that −207C>G polymorphism of the SLC22A5 gene is not associated with male infertility.
