Ce. Depuydt et al., LEVELS OF HEPATOCYTE GROWTH-FACTOR SCATTER FACTOR (HGF SF) IN SEMINALPLASMA OF PATIENTS WITH ANDROLOGICAL DISEASES/, Journal of andrology, 19(2), 1998, pp. 175-182
Hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF) has all the character
istics of a molecule suitable for functioning in regulatory networks o
f motility, such as the spermatogenic epithelium, where spermatogenic
cells must migrate between the cells of Sertoli, and it exerts its eff
ect through binding of its high-affinity receptor (c-met). Considering
the findings that c-met receptor is expressed in the human testis and
on spermatozoa, and that HGF/SF in seminal plasma consists of pro-HGF
/SF, mature alpha beta-HGF/SF, and less active forms of HGF/SF, we inv
estigated the concentration and biological activity of HGF/SF in semin
al plasma and their correlation with-parameters of spermatogenesis to
obtain better insight into mechanisms that may be involved in the path
ogenesis of male infertility. We also evaluated the potential value of
assessment of hepatocyte growth factor concentration and its bioactiv
ity for the diagnosis of certain pathological conditions of male repro
duction. We studied the concentration and biological activity of HGF/S
F in seminal plasma of normal men and of patients with a range of andr
ological diseases or conditions by measuring HGF/SF in seminal plasma
by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and by scatter assay using Madin-
Darby canine kidney epithelial cells. We identified three sources of H
GF/SF in seminal plasma. In samples from vasectomized men (n = 30; 2.0
1 ng/ml) and in split ejaculate samples (n = 6; 1(e) fraction 2.75 ng/
ml, 2(e) fraction 1.62 ng/ml), a prostatic origin can be certified. Th
is HGF/SF has low biological activity (133.3 U/ml). In inflammation of
the accessory sex glands (n = 40), a high amount of HGF/SF (3.04 ng/m
l) can be generated by white blood cells and has moderate scatter acti
vity (426.7 U/ml). In normozoospermic samples, there is a lower amount
of HGF/SF (1.12 ng/ml), with strong scatter activity (1280.0 U/ml). F
inally, the clear difference between the low amount of HGF/SF (1.06 ng
/ml) with poor scatter activity (106.6 U/ml) in oligozoospermic sample
s (n = 28) and the high amount of HGF/SF (3.35 ng/ml) with strong scat
ter activity (853.3 U/ml) in samples from men with azoospermia of prim
ary testicular failure (n = 18) suggests a mainly testicular origin, w
ith different activity in different pathological conditions.