Reproductive damage of male rats exposed to plateau environment
BU Zihan1,2,3, ZHOU Hao1,2,3, LI Jiahao1,2,3, ZHANG Bin1, ZHANG Chunlei1, CHANG Dehui1
1. Department of Urology, The 940th Hospital of the Joint Logistics Support Force of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, Lanzhou, Gansu 730050, China; 2. Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Gene Drugs, The 940th Hospital of the Joint Logistics Support Force of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, Lanzhou, Gansu 730050, China; 3. First Clinical School of Gansu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
Abstract：Objective To investigate the effects of plateau environment exposure on the reproductive system of male rats, so as to provide the reference for mechanisms of reproductive damage in plateau environment. Methods Sixty SPF-grade 12-week-old male Wistar rats were randomly divided into the plain-exposed group, the 1 day-, 3 day-, 7 day-, 14 day- and 28 day- plateau-exposed groups. The rats in the plain-exposed group were raised under normal conditions for 28 days, while the rats in the plateau-exposed groups were raised in a simulated high-altitude plateau chamber. After the completion of the designated feeding periods, the rats were sacrificed under anesthesia, and testicular tissue and abdominal aortic blood were collected to detect the testicular index and evaluate sperm quality. Histological and cellular morphologies of the testicular tissue were analyzed. Additionally, the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and reactive oxygen (ROS) in the testicular tissue were determined, along with serum levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone (T). Results Compared with the plain-exposed group, the rats in the 14 day-plateau-exposed group showed a decrease in the testicular index, relative sperm count, sperm viability and forward motility rate; more abnormalities in testicular tissue morphology, resulting in lower Johnson score; ruptures in mitochondria, significantly paler matrix, and more fragmented and missing cristae; increased MDA and ROS levels; decreased FSH and LH levels and an increased T level (all P<0.05). Compared with the 14 day-plateau-exposed group, the rats in the 28 day-plateau-exposed group showed an increase in relative sperm count, sperm viability and forward motility rate; swollen mitochondria but no ruptures; decreased MDA and ROS levels, increased SOD levels; increased FSH and LH levels, and a decreased T level (all P<0.05). Conclusions Plateau environment may cause a decrease in testicular index and sperm quality, impair mitochondrial function, induce oxidative stress, and thus affect reproductive system of male rats. However, there are signs of self-repair in the reproductive system with the increase of exposure duration.
[1] BISHT S,FAIQ M,TOLAHUNASE M,et al.Oxidative stress and male infertility[J].Nat Rev Urol,2017,14(8):470-485. [2] BARATI E,NIKZAD H,KARIMIAN M.Oxidative stress and male infertility:current knowledge of pathophysiology and role of antioxidant therapy in disease management[J].Cell Mol Life Sci,2020,77(1):93-113. [3] 李勃深,张宇轩,范容晖,等.高原对线粒体功能及能量代谢影响研究进展[J].中国比较医学杂志,2023(10):106-113. [4] SPIERS J G,CHEN H J,SERNIA C.Activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal stress axis induces cellular oxidative stress[J/OL].Front Neurosci,2015[2024-05-21].https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2014.00456. [5] 常德辉,孔飞燕,姜卫,等.高原低压低氧雄性Wistar大鼠生殖系统损伤模型的建立[J].中华男科学杂志,2020,26(12):1068-1073. [6] 孔飞燕. 左卡尼汀对模拟高原环境雄性大鼠生殖功能损伤的防护研究[D].兰州:甘肃中医药大学,2020. [7] 常德辉,孔飞燕,罗国雄,等.左卡尼汀对高原环境下大鼠睾丸抗氧化损伤的研究[J].西南国防医药,2021,31(1):8-11. [8] 马刚,张凯,张斌,等.左卡尼汀对模拟高原环境下大鼠睾丸形态学及超微结构影响的研究[J].兰州大学学报(医学版),2022,48(6):26-30,34. [9] 张春晓,高家昊,张倩倩,等.活性氧在1,4-苯醌诱导的线粒体自噬中的作用[J].预防医学,2018,30(4):334-337. [10] 姚重界,赵琛,刘世敏.睾丸中生殖细胞凋亡通路的调节机制研究进展[J].中华男科学杂志,2018,24(9):844-850. [11] 朱波,陈峰,何洕.镉对小鼠睾丸生殖细胞DNA损伤作用研究[J].浙江预防医学,2007,19(9):11-13. [12] GUO Y J,YANG Y N,WANG B,et al.Morphological and scanning electron microscopic study of the gonadal arterioles in the Tibetan sheep[J].Anat Histol Embryol,2021,50(4):694-700. [13] 吴学良. 移居高原低氧环境下男性医务人员在不同时期的性激素水平、精液质量和性功能改变的调查研究[J].中国性科学,2021,30(6):38-42.
