Background: Male infertility remains a significant clinical challenge. The KISS1R-CATSPER3 signaling axis and acrosomal integrity are vital for fertilization, yet their regional expression patterns in subfertile men are not fully characterized. Objectives: This study investigated regional expression patterns of KISS1R and CATSPER3 and evaluated acrosomal integrity in oligozoospermic and normozoospermic individuals, accounting for demographic confounders. Methods: A total of 52 participants were selected from 568 candidates and divided into normozoospermic (n = 26) and oligozoospermic (n = 26) groups. Analysis included qPCR and immunofluorescence for KISS1R and CATSPER3. Regional expression was independently scored by blinded researchers. Statistical models were adjusted for age and body mass index (BMI). Results: Acrosomal integrity was significantly lower in the oligozoospermic group (p 0.05), indicating post-translational regulation. Conclusions: KISS1R-CATSPER3 axis downregulation is a hallmark of oligozoospermia that persists independently of age and BMI. Regional protein instability, despite stable mRNA levels, suggests that post-translational regulation is critical for fertility. These markers may serve as potential diagnostic or therapeutic indicators for male infertility.
Ünlükal et al. (Thu,) studied this question.