<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<!DOCTYPE Articles SYSTEM "HBI_DTD">


<journal>
<language>en</language>
<journal_id_issn>1726-7536</journal_id_issn>
<journal_id_issn_online>1735-8507</journal_id_issn_online>
<journal_id_pii></journal_id_pii>
<journal_id_doi></journal_id_doi>
<journal_id_isnet></journal_id_isnet>
<journal_id_iranmedex>69</journal_id_iranmedex>
<journal_id_magiran>2139</journal_id_magiran>
<journal_id_sid>288</journal_id_sid>
<pubdate PubStatus="epublish">
	<type>gregorian</type>
	<year>2025</year>
	<month>9</month>
	<day>1</day>
</pubdate>
<volume>26</volume>
<number>2</number>
<publish_type>online</publish_type>
<publish_edition>1</publish_edition>
<article_type>fulltext</article_type>
<articleset>

<article>
	<language>en</language>
	<article_id_issn></article_id_issn>
	<article_id_issn_online></article_id_issn_online>
	<article_id_pubmed></article_id_pubmed>
	<article_id_pii></article_id_pii>
	<article_id_doi></article_id_doi>
	<article_id_iranmedex></article_id_iranmedex>
	<article_id_magiran></article_id_magiran>
	<article_id_sid></article_id_sid>
	<title_fa></title_fa>
	<title>Altered Expression of Toll-Like Receptors and Key Signaling Genes in Sertoli Cells of Azoospermic Patients</title>
	<subject_fa></subject_fa>
	<subject></subject>
	<content_type_fa></content_type_fa>
	<content_type></content_type>
	<abstract_fa></abstract_fa>
	<abstract>&lt;p&gt;Background: Azoospermia, the complete absence of sperm in the ejaculate, is a major cause of male infertility. Sertoli cells are essential for spermatogenesis, and disruptions in innate immune immune pathways, particularly Toll-like receptors (TLRs), may impair their function. This study investigated the expression of TLR1&amp;ndash;10 and downstream signaling molecules (MYD88, NFKB, TRIF, IRF3, and TRAM) in Sertoli cells of azoospermic patients.&lt;br /&gt;
Methods: Testicular tissue were collected from 20 azoospermic men undergoing testicular sperm extraction (TESE). Patients were categorized into two TESE positive (sperm present, n=10) and TESE negative (sperm absent, n=10). Sertoli cells were isolated using enzyme digestion and purified via fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). Gene expression of TLR1&amp;ndash;10 and signaling molecules was quantified by RT-PCR. Data were analyzed using independent-samples T-test, with significance set at p&amp;lt;0.05.&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
Results: Significant downregulation was detected in TLR10 (20.6-fold, p&amp;lt;0.0001), TLR9 (4.6-fold, p&amp;lt;0.05), TLR7 (4.8-fold, p&amp;lt;0.01), TLR6 (12.4-fold, p&amp;lt;0.05), TLR5 (13.5-fold, p&amp;lt;0.001), TLR4 (3.2-fold, p&amp;lt;0.05), and TLR3 (3.1-fold, p&amp;lt;0.01). Among signaling molecules, MYD88 (4.1-fold, p&amp;lt;0.01) and IRF3 (4.2-fold, p&amp;lt;0.05) showed significant reductions, indicating impaired immune signaling in Sertoli cells of TESE-negative men.&lt;br /&gt;
Conclusion: Altered expression of TLRs and associated signaling molecules in Sertoli cells of azoospermic men suggests innate immune dysregulation as a potential mecha-nism underlying defective spermatogenesis. These findings highlight immune privilege-associated pathways as possible targets for developing diagnostic biomarkers and novel therapeutic approaches for male infertility.&lt;/p&gt;
</abstract>
	<keyword_fa></keyword_fa>
	<keyword>Azoospermia, Male infertility, Signal transduction, Sertoli cells, TESE, Toll-like receptors</keyword>
	<start_page>109</start_page>
	<end_page>119</end_page>
	<web_url>https://www.jri.ir/article/140266</web_url>
	<pdf_url>https://www.jri.ir/documents/fullpaper/en/140266.pdf</pdf_url>
	<author_list><author><first_name>Mohammad Reza</first_name><middle_name></middle_name><last_name>Lakpour</last_name><suffix></suffix><affiliation>Department of Gerontology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences Branch, ACECR, Tehran, Iran</affiliation><first_name_fa></first_name_fa><middle_name_fa></middle_name_fa><last_name_fa></last_name_fa><suffix_fa></suffix_fa><email></email><code>122863</code><coreauthor></coreauthor><affiliation_fa></affiliation_fa></author><author><first_name>Reza</first_name><middle_name></middle_name><last_name>Aflatoonian</last_name><suffix></suffix><affiliation>Department of Endocrinology and Female Infertility, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran</affiliation><first_name_fa></first_name_fa><middle_name_fa></middle_name_fa><last_name_fa></last_name_fa><suffix_fa></suffix_fa><email></email><code>1660</code><coreauthor></coreauthor><affiliation_fa></affiliation_fa></author><author><first_name>Mohammad Ali</first_name><middle_name></middle_name><last_name>Sadighi Gilani</last_name><suffix></suffix><affiliation>Department of Andrology, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran</affiliation><first_name_fa></first_name_fa><middle_name_fa></middle_name_fa><last_name_fa></last_name_fa><suffix_fa></suffix_fa><email></email><code>112410</code><coreauthor></coreauthor><affiliation_fa></affiliation_fa></author><author><first_name>Reza</first_name><middle_name></middle_name><last_name>Hajihosseini</last_name><suffix></suffix><affiliation>Department of Biology, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran</affiliation><first_name_fa></first_name_fa><middle_name_fa></middle_name_fa><last_name_fa></last_name_fa><suffix_fa></suffix_fa><email>hosseini@pnu.ac.ir</email><code>122864</code><coreauthor></coreauthor><affiliation_fa></affiliation_fa></author><author><first_name>Marjan</first_name><middle_name></middle_name><last_name>Sabbaghian</last_name><suffix></suffix><affiliation>Department of Andrology, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran</affiliation><first_name_fa></first_name_fa><middle_name_fa></middle_name_fa><last_name_fa></last_name_fa><suffix_fa></suffix_fa><email>m.sabbaghian@royaninstitue.org</email><code>122637</code><coreauthor></coreauthor><affiliation_fa></affiliation_fa></author></author_list>
</article>

</articleset>
</journal>

