Copper Exposure Destroys the Integrity of the Blood-Testis Barrier (BTB) Through p38 MAPK-Meditated Autophagy Pathways.

IF 3.4 3区 生物学 Q2 BIOCHEMISTRY & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
Huidan Deng, Yanbin Lou, Ran He, Junliang Deng, Yanqiu Zhu, Xiaoli Wu, Hongrui Guo
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Abstract

Copper (Cu) is an essential trace element for living organisms. However, excessive exposure to Cu is harmful to male fertility. But the precise mechanisms are still unknown. The blood-testis barrier (BTB), an important testicular structure composed of connections between Sertoli cells, is the target of reproductive toxicity induced by various environmental contaminants. In this study, we found an increase in sperm malformation rates as well as testicular histopathology abnormalities after exposure to Cu. The BTB integrity assay findings showed that Cu induced BTB degradation. Also, the expression of BTB-related proteins such as the gap junction (GJ) and tight junction (TJ) in the mouse testis and Sertoli cells (TM4) decreased after intake of high Cu. Next, to study the involvement of the p38 MAPK signaling pathway in Cu-mediated BTB degradation, the p38 inhibitor (SB203580) was co-treated with Cu in TM4 cells; the results showed that the p38 inhibitor blocked autophagy and alleviated Cu-induced BTB impairment. Furthermore, we treated the cells with an autophagy inhibitor in combination with Cu, and it was discovered that inhibiting autophagy also prevented Cu-induced BTB impairment. These results suggest that Cu destroys the BTB instruction and is dependent on the p38 MAPK signaling pathway.

铜暴露通过 p38 MAPK 促成的自噬途径破坏血睾屏障 (BTB) 的完整性
铜(Cu)是生物体必需的微量元素。然而,过量接触铜会损害男性生育能力。但其确切的机制尚不清楚。血睾屏障(BTB)是由 Sertoli 细胞之间的连接组成的重要睾丸结构,是各种环境污染物诱发生殖毒性的目标。在这项研究中,我们发现接触铜后,精子畸形率和睾丸组织病理学异常均有所增加。BTB完整性检测结果表明,铜会诱导BTB降解。此外,摄入高浓度的铜后,小鼠睾丸和Sertoli细胞(TM4)中的间隙连接(GJ)和紧密连接(TJ)等BTB相关蛋白的表达量减少。接下来,为了研究 p38 MAPK 信号通路在 Cu 介导的 BTB 降解中的参与情况,我们将 p38 抑制剂(SB203580)与 Cu 共同处理 TM4 细胞,结果显示 p38 抑制剂阻断了自噬,减轻了 Cu 诱导的 BTB 损伤。此外,我们用自噬抑制剂与 Cu 联合处理细胞,发现抑制自噬也能防止 Cu 诱导的 BTB 损伤。这些结果表明,Cu 破坏 BTB 指令依赖于 p38 MAPK 信号通路。
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来源期刊
Biological Trace Element Research
Biological Trace Element Research 生物-内分泌学与代谢
CiteScore
8.70
自引率
10.30%
发文量
459
审稿时长
2 months
期刊介绍: Biological Trace Element Research provides a much-needed central forum for the emergent, interdisciplinary field of research on the biological, environmental, and biomedical roles of trace elements. Rather than confine itself to biochemistry, the journal emphasizes the integrative aspects of trace metal research in all appropriate fields, publishing human and animal nutritional studies devoted to the fundamental chemistry and biochemistry at issue as well as to the elucidation of the relevant aspects of preventive medicine, epidemiology, clinical chemistry, agriculture, endocrinology, animal science, pharmacology, microbiology, toxicology, virology, marine biology, sensory physiology, developmental biology, and related fields.
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