Journal
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
Volume 734, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
ELSEVIER
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139233
Keywords
Arsenic; Acrosome formation; Sperm flagellum; Male fertility; Testes
Categories
Funding
- National Natural Science Foundation of China [31741120]
- Natural Science Foundation of Shanxi Province [201901D111233]
- Top Youth Talent Plan of Shanxi Province
- Key Science Research and Development Project of Shanxi Province [201903D211008]
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Arsenic (As) poisoning and its potential reproductive functional lesions are a global environmental concern. Recent studies shown that spermiogenesis tends to be a major target process in arsenic-induced male infertility, however, the underlying mechanisms are not fully illuminated. In the present study, 32 fertility related indices including sperm motility, dynamic acrosome formation and sperm flagellum during spermiogenesis in testes were evaluated in adult male mice treated with 0, 0.2, 2, and 20 ppm As2O3 via drinking water for 180 consecutive days. The results showed that out of 32 indices, 11, 25, and 29 indicators were changed statistically by 0.2-, 2-, and 20- ppm As2O3 treatment compared to the controls (0 ppm As2O3), respectively, which reveals a significant dose-dependent relationship. For details, sperm motilities were significantly decreased by 18.85%, 32.47% and 29.53% in three As2O3 treatment groups compared to the control group. Meanwhile, the ultra-structures of acrosome formation and sperm flagellum in testes have been altered by chronic arsenic exposure. Furthermore, arsenic decreased the mRNA expressions of 11 out of 13 genes associated with acrosome biosynthesis and 11 out of 12 genes related to flagellum formation in testes, particularly, down-regulated DPY19L2, AKAP3, AKAP4, CFAP44 and SPAG16 were further confirmed at the protein levels by western blotting. Taken together, chronic arsenic exposure declines male fertility by disorganizing dynamic acrosome and flagellum formation in testes. Especially, DPY19L2, AKAP3, AKAP4, CFAP44, and SPAG16 maybe the potential targets in this process. These results may offer not only a new insight to the mechanism of arsenic-induced male reproductive toxicity, but also provide a clue for the diagnosis and therapy of arseniasis.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available