Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology最新文献

{"title":"Cellular activity of the cytosolic selenoprotein thioredoxin reductase 1 (TXNRD1) is modulated by copper and zinc levels in the cell culture medium","authors":"Karoline C. Scholzen ,&nbsp;Elias S.J. Arnér","doi":"10.1016/j.jtemb.2025.127624","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jtemb.2025.127624","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Selenium (Se), Copper (Cu) and Zinc (Zn) are essential trace elements, required for several cellular functions, showcasing toxicity in either insufficient or excessive concentrations. The selenoprotein thioredoxin reductase 1 (TXNRD1) is directly affected by Se availability and here we hypothesized that it may also be affected by high Cu and Zn concentrations.</div></div><div><h3>Methods and results</h3><div>Using an optimized protocol for the highly selective TXNRD1 activity probe, RX1, we discovered a direct inhibitory effect of Zn on the intracellular TXNRD1 activity, using two different commonly used human cancer cell lines, A549 lung carcinoma and HeLa cervical carcinoma cells. Subsequently, after initial inhibition by Zn, the TXNRD1 activity recovered in both cell lines, in HeLa cells concomitantly with activation of the redox regulatory transcription factor NRF2. High extracellular Cu concentrations did not induce an immediate decrease of intracellular TXNRD1 activity, but decreased its activity upon long-term exposure. While the expression levels of TXNRD1 did not change upon long-term Cu exposure, the selenoprotein glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPX1), that is more dependent upon selenocysteine incorporation, was downregulated, suggesting that higher Cu exposure generally impaired selenoprotein synthesis.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Our findings support the importance of understanding trace element exposure and availability in basic research, especially in redox biology research, as well as considering Cu and Zn as potential modulators of the cellular capacity of the thioredoxin system and other selenoproteins.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49970,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology","volume":"88 ","pages":"Article 127624"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143453251","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Urinary trace elements and thyroid nodule formation in a longitudinal cohort of older women: Findings from KoGES","authors":"Sohyeon Choi ,&nbsp;Min Joo Kim ,&nbsp;Sunyoung Kang ,&nbsp;Min Kyong Moon ,&nbsp;Gowoon Lee ,&nbsp;Inae Lee ,&nbsp;Kyungho Choi ,&nbsp;Nam H. Cho ,&nbsp;Young Joo Park ,&nbsp;Jeongim Park","doi":"10.1016/j.jtemb.2025.127622","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jtemb.2025.127622","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Thyroid nodules are common in older populations, but the role of trace elements in their development and growth remains unclear. Previous studies have reported inconsistent findings regarding the association between trace elements and thyroid nodules. This study investigated the associations between urinary concentrations of various trace elements and the prevalence and incidence of thyroid nodules in older women, a population at higher risk for thyroid disorders. Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses were conducted using data from 653 women aged 60 years and older in the Ansung cohort of the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES). Urinary concentrations of 18 elements were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and mercury was analyzed using a Direct Mercury Analyzer (DMA). Logistic regression was used to assess associations between trace element exposure and thyroid nodule prevalence, stratified by nodule size (3.0–4.9 mm, 5.0–9.9 mm, and ≥10.0 mm). Higher urinary concentrations of Mn (OR 2.04; 95 % CI, 1.27–3.28), Cu (OR 1.71; 95 % CI, 1.08–2.72), and Co (OR 1.48; 95 % CI, 0.94–2.31) were significantly associated with larger thyroid nodules (≥10.0 mm). Zinc (OR 1.33; 95 % CI, 0.84–2.11) showed a weaker but positive association with larger nodules, while uranium exposure was notably linked to the development of new nodules during follow-up (OR 7.70; 95 % CI, 1.56–38.10 for nodules ≥5.0 mm). The findings suggest that trace elements, particularly Mn, Cu, Co, Zn, and U, may contribute to the formation and growth of thyroid nodules in older women. Future research should investigate the underlying mechanisms and expand to other populations to better understand these associations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49970,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology","volume":"88 ","pages":"Article 127622"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143479289","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Trace lithium concentrations in mental disorders and suicidal behavior: A cross-sectional study","authors":"Vilma Jakienė ,&nbsp;Nijolė Raškauskienė ,&nbsp;Aurelija Podlipskytė ,&nbsp;Eimantas Zauka ,&nbsp;Gediminas Mačys ,&nbsp;Virginija Adomaitienė ,&nbsp;Rima Naginienė ,&nbsp;Dalė Baranauskienė ,&nbsp;Julius Burkauskas ,&nbsp;Vesta Steiblienė","doi":"10.1016/j.jtemb.2025.127621","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jtemb.2025.127621","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Studies have demonstrated a negative correlation between lithium trace concentrations in drinking water and suicide rates; however, a study focused on clinical significance of lithium concentrations in individual patients was needed. Therefore, we aimed to assess lithium trace concentrations in individuals with mental disorders and compare them to healthy controls to evaluate whether lithium concentrations are associated with mental disorders and/or suicidal behavior.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>We enrolled 50 patients diagnosed with mental disorders without a history of suicidal behavior, 51 patients hospitalized after a suicidal attempt, and 46 healthy individuals as a control group for the analysis and comparison of lithium trace concentrations in blood serum. The suicidality risk was evaluated using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview. Quantile regression (QR) was used to evaluate lithium concentrations (as the outcome) between the control and patient groups (as predictors), along with a set of covariates.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The median of serum lithium concentration overall was 1.76 µg/L (IQR 1.17–3.42); range 0.2–26.95 µg/L. Mutivariable QR analysis, adjusted for age, gender, and suicidality risk, revealed that at the 75th quantile, in patients' lithium concentrations were significantly lower compared to the controls. A high suicidality risk was associated with decreased lithium concentrations at the 75th quantile (B = − 2.073, p = 0.014).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The serum lithium concentrations in the highest quantiles were significantly lower in patients with mental disorders compared to healthy individuals and lower lithium concentrations in serum were associated with a higher risk of suicidality.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49970,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology","volume":"88 ","pages":"Article 127621"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143453250","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Selenium-containing compounds, selenium nanoparticles and selenoproteins in the prevention and treatment of lung cancer","authors":"Elena G. Varlamova","doi":"10.1016/j.jtemb.2025.127620","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jtemb.2025.127620","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>The objective:</h3><div>Is to review the latest data on the role of key organic and inorganic compounds of the essential trace element selenium, selenium-containing nanocomposites and nanoparticles, and selenoproteins in lung cancer therapy.</div></div><div><h3>Object of research:</h3><div>Sodium selenite, methylselenic acid, selenomethionine, selenium nanoparticles, mammalian selenoproteins</div></div><div><h3>Key objectives:</h3><div>To describe the molecular mechanisms of the cytotoxic effect of sodium selenite, methylselenic acid and selenomethionine on lung cancer cells, to discuss the latest advances in lung cancer nanomedicine using selenium-based nanoparticles and nanocomposites and to assess the prospects for creating antitumor drugs based on them, to assess the role of selenoproteins in the progression or inhibition of lung cancer and to study the molecular mechanisms of such regulation</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions:</h3><div>This review provides a complete picture of the role of selenium and selenium-containing agents of various natures in the regulation of carcinogenesis and therapy of lung cancer, which significantly complements the fundamental data on the functions of these compounds, on the molecular mechanisms of regulation of processes associated with lung cancer. This knowledge provides insight into the latest developments and future prospects in the treatment and prevention of lung cancer with the active participation of the trace element selenium.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49970,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology","volume":"88 ","pages":"Article 127620"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143429587","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A review study on the effect of zinc on oxidative stress-related neurological disorders","authors":"Reyhaneh Vali ,&nbsp;Kasra Shirvanian ,&nbsp;Tahereh Farkhondeh ,&nbsp;Michael Aschner ,&nbsp;Fariborz Samini ,&nbsp;Saeed Samarghandian","doi":"10.1016/j.jtemb.2025.127618","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jtemb.2025.127618","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Zinc plays a main role in maintaining homeostasis and neuronal function. Disorders in zinc homeostasis are connected to several neurological disorders due to inflammation and oxidative stress. This review explores the effect of zinc on neurological disorders through the Nrf2 signaling pathway. The Nrf2 pathway modulates oxidative stress and regulates antioxidant defenses, which is critical in the pathogenesis of neurological diseases. We provide an overview of in vivo and in vitro studies illustrating zinc's neuroprotective effects in conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, spinal cord injury, and stroke. The dual role of zinc, where both excess and deficiency can be detrimental, is highlighted, emphasizing the need for optimal zinc levels. Limitations of current research and future perspectives are also discussed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49970,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology","volume":"88 ","pages":"Article 127618"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143437534","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Association of trace element levels in primary teeth and occurrence of Cleft lip and/or palate","authors":"Krithika Gupta ,&nbsp;M.S. Muthu ,&nbsp;Ankita Saikia ,&nbsp;Latha Nirmal ,&nbsp;Arijeet Mitra ,&nbsp;Umesh Wadgave ,&nbsp;Vineet Dhar","doi":"10.1016/j.jtemb.2025.127615","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jtemb.2025.127615","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Cleft lip and/or palate (CL/CP) are common congenital anomalies with multifactorial origins, potentially influenced by environmental factors, including multi-trace metal exposure. Primary teeth, which form in utero, offer a unique biomatrix for assessing early-life metal exposure, yet remain underexplored in CL/CP research.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This case-control study aimed to investigate the association between multi-trace metal exposure and CL/CP occurrence by analyzing primary teeth using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS).</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Ethical clearance was obtained for this study, which included 30 children aged 4–12 years. Non-carious central and lateral incisors were analyzed for trace metals using ICP-MS. Demographic, socioeconomic, and nutritional data were collected via a structured proforma and environmental risk factor questionnaire.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>A comprehensive analysis of 24 trace metals in primary teeth of CL/CP and control groups found no significant associations with 25Mg, 52Cr, 43Ca, and 56Fe, with odds ratios near 1. Lower 113 Cd concentrations were linked to CL/CP. However, the small sample size (n = 15 per group) limits conclusions on the relationship between cadmium levels and CL/CP. Maternal nutritional deficiencies (p = 0.031) and lower annual income (p = 0.001) were significantly associated with increased CL/CP prevalence, suggesting socioeconomic and dietary influences.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Exposure to 25Mg, 52Cr, 43Ca, and 56Fe showed no significant association with CL/CP risk, while lower 113 Cd levels suggested a potential link, though the small sample size limits interpretations. Further research is needed to elucidate the link between metal exposure and developmental anomalies, and to address cadmium's environmental and dietary sources to reduce CL/CP risk.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49970,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology","volume":"88 ","pages":"Article 127615"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143395322","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Selenium pretreatment improve renal function, autophagy signaling pathway and mir21a gene expression in renal ischemia reperfusion injury model in male rat","authors":"Fatemeh Ayari ,&nbsp;Amin Abdollahzade Fard ,&nbsp;Leila Chodari","doi":"10.1016/j.jtemb.2025.127610","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jtemb.2025.127610","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Renal ischemia-reperfusion injury (RIRI) is a major cause of acute kidney injury (AKI). Autophagy is an important mechanisms involved in this damage. In this study, we investigated effect of selenium on autophagy in kidney following IRI.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>In this study, 24 Wistar male rats (200 ± 20 gr) were divided into 4 groups: 1) Sham 2) Sham+ Sodium selenite (0.5 mg/kg) 3) Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) 4) I/R + sodium selenite. RIRI induces by vascular microclamp for 45 min. At the end of study, blood was taken from the heart tissue and used to measure BUN and Creatinine with the kit, the left kidney tissue was frozen for measurement of LC3II, LC3I, Beclin1, Rab11a, P62, and Caspase3 by western blot technique and measurement of mir21a by RT-PCR method. In addition, right kidney tissue was placed in formalin for histological studies with Haematoxylin‎‎-eosin staining.</div></div><div><h3>Result</h3><div>According to the results, in the I/R group compared to the sham group, serum levels of creatinine and urea, amount of autophagy including expression levels of Lc3II/Lc3I, beclin1, Rab11a, Cleaved Caspase3/Pro Caspase3 proteins significantly increased and expression of p62 decreased. Also, mir21a gene expression significantly decreased in the I/R group. According to histological results, ischemia-reperfusion has caused kidney tissue damage, such as destruction of the brush border of renal tubules, congestion, and leukocyte filtration. Our results showed that pretreatment with selenium reduced tissue damage and moderated the expression changes of the mentioned proteins.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>It seems selenium inhibits autophagy by changing the expression levels of mediator molecules Rab11a and mir21a, and it can apply its healing effects in the damage caused by ischemia and reperfusion of kidney tissue in an animal model.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49970,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology","volume":"88 ","pages":"Article 127610"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143428640","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cerium-doped mesoporous bioactive glass nanoparticles reduce oxidative stress and adipogenic differentiation in human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells","authors":"V. Jacobsen ,&nbsp;E. Kunisch ,&nbsp;C. Merle ,&nbsp;B. Xue ,&nbsp;K. Zheng ,&nbsp;T. Renkawitz ,&nbsp;A.R. Boccaccini ,&nbsp;F. Westhauser","doi":"10.1016/j.jtemb.2025.127617","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jtemb.2025.127617","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) favor adipogenic over osteogenic differentiation in human bone-marrow derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BMSCs). Therefore, biomaterials containing ROS-suppressing elements such as Cerium (Ce) have been introduced to cell-based bone-tissue-engineering (BTE) approaches. This study was conducted to assess the efficacy of Ce-doped mesoporous bioactive glass nanoparticles (MBGNs) in reducing ROS levels and subsequently inhibiting the adipogenic differentiation of BMSCs. To this end, BMSCs were cultivated in adipogenesis inducing medium (AIM) and exposed to ions released from Ce-free MBGNs (composition in mol%: 86SiO₂-14CaO), Low-Ce-MBGNs (composition in mol%: 86.6SiO₂-12.1CaO-1.3CeO₂) and High-Ce-MBGNs (composition in mol%: 86.0SiO₂-11.8CaO-2.2CeO₂). The influence of the different MBGNs on the expression of adipogenic and ROS-scavenging genes was assessed as well as their influence on lipid formation and the physical presence of ROS. Ce-MBGNs significantly reduced lipid production and the expression of adipogenic marker genes when compared to BMSCs cultivated in the presence of MBGNs or AIM alone. Furthermore, ROS levels were decreased by Ce-MBGNs alongside an upregulation of the expression of genes encoding for ROS-scavenging enzymes. Ce-MBGNs have proven their antioxidative potential. Mediated by the reduction of ROS, the undesired differentiation of BMSCs towards adipogenic lineage within BTE applications has been effectively suppressed. Ce-MBGNs target differentiation pathways in BMSCs precisely and therefore constitute an attractive biomaterial in the field of ion-based BTE.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49970,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology","volume":"88 ","pages":"Article 127617"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143395321","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Recent advancements in the application of multi-elemental profiling and ionomics in cardiovascular diseases","authors":"Yan Zhang ,&nbsp;Zaicheng Zhang ,&nbsp;Hengtao Li ,&nbsp;Yao Xiao ,&nbsp;Huimin Ying","doi":"10.1016/j.jtemb.2025.127616","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jtemb.2025.127616","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Trace elements and minerals are crucial for human growth and health, whose imbalance is associated with a variety of diseases. Recently, multi-elemental profiling and ionomics have been rapidly developed and widely used to study the distribution, variation, and interactions of various elements in diverse physiological and pathological conditions. By utilizing high-throughput elemental analytical techniques and bioinformatics approaches, researchers can uncover the relationship between the metabolism and balance of different elements and numerous human diseases.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The presented work reviews recent advances in multi-elemental and ionomic profiling of human biological samples for several major types of cardiovascular diseases.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Research indicates distinct and dynamic patterns of ion contents in these diseases. Accumulation of copper and environmental toxic metals as well as deficiencies in zinc and selenium appear to be the most significant risk factors for the majority of cardiovascular diseases, suggesting that an imbalance in these elements may play a role in the development of these illnesses. Furthermore, each type of cardiovascular disease exhibits a relatively unique distribution of ions in biofluid and hair samples from patients, potentially serving as indicators for the specific disease.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Multi-elemental profiling and ionomics not only enhance our understanding of the association between elemental dyshomeostasis and the development of cardiovascular diseases but also facilitate the discovery of novel diagnostic and prognostic markers for these conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49970,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology","volume":"88 ","pages":"Article 127616"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143376584","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of Melatonin and Ginseng on rat testis and sperm quality against cadmium toxicity via inhibiting oxidative stress and autophagy pathways","authors":"Nashwa Barakat ,&nbsp;Mona A. Alkhen ,&nbsp;Yomna Khater ,&nbsp;Salma M. Khirallah","doi":"10.1016/j.jtemb.2025.127614","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jtemb.2025.127614","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background and aim</h3><div>Infertility constitutes a significant global health concern. Cadmium (Cd), a hazardous element, exerts deleterious effects on the reproductive system. Consequently, it is essential to devise novel pharmaceutical strategies to mitigate this adverse effect. Melatonin is linked to the regulation of spermatogenesis across several animals. Ginseng is recognized for its antioxidant capabilities and has shown superior clinical efficacy in male reproductive health. This study aimed to inspect the preventive effects of Melatonin (Mel) and Ginseng (Gin) on the quality of epididymal sperm, as well as testicular function and structure, in rats subjected to cadmium exposure.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Forty rats were allocated into four equal groups: Control group, Cadmium group: Rats were injected with 2.0 mg/kg, Melatonin group: animals were injected with 10 mg/kg and Ginseng group: Rats were oral gavage with 100 mg/kg. All treatments were maintained for 8 weeks. Testes were taken for histopathological examinations, sperm parameters analysis, biochemical and molecular studies.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The results revealed a significant decrease of sperm parameters in Cd group compared to the control group. Nevertheless, treatment with Mel and Gin significantly increased sperm concentration, motility, and viability compared to Cd group (p &lt; 0.05). Besides, Cd treatment caused a significant decrease in SOD and CAT activities and an increase in NO and MDA levels which was significantly improved with Mel and Gin administration (p &lt; 0.05). Apoptosis, inflammation and autophagy markers were significantly inhibited with Mel and Gin treatment.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Melatonin and Ginseng reduce testicular toxicity induced by Cd, via inhibiting oxidative stress, apoptosis, inflammation, and autophagy providing novel insights into combating cadmium toxicity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49970,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology","volume":"88 ","pages":"Article 127614"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143194486","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}