Qianqian Huang , Haiying Wu , Xiangxin Xiao , Zhen Lu , Xiuping Fan , Wenhong Cao , Suqing Liu , Xiaoming Qin
{"title":"Chikusetsusaponin IVa通过Nrf2/HO-1信号通路改善帕罗西汀诱导的间质细胞(TM3细胞)损伤","authors":"Qianqian Huang , Haiying Wu , Xiangxin Xiao , Zhen Lu , Xiuping Fan , Wenhong Cao , Suqing Liu , Xiaoming Qin","doi":"10.1016/j.reprotox.2025.109039","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Paroxetine (PRX) exhibits significant toxic effects on the male reproductive system. Previous animal studies have demonstrated that <em>Pfaffia glomerata</em> extract can ameliorate PRX-induced sexual dysfunction in male mice, but its active components and underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Chikusetsusaponin IVa (CHS-IVa), a major saponin component of <em>Pfaffia glomerata</em> with well-documented antioxidant and anti-apoptotic activities, has become a research focus. This study aimed to investigate whether CHS-IVa could mitigate PRX-induced injury in mouse Leydig cells (TM3 cells) by regulating oxidative stress, apoptosis, and androgen synthesis pathways. To achieve this, a PRX-induced injury model in TM3 cells was established and subjected to comprehensive evaluation using CCK-8 assay for cell viability, ELISA for sex hormone levels, DCFH-DA fluorescent probe for reactive oxygen species (ROS) detection, and RT-qPCR/Western blot for mRNA and protein expression analysis. Results showed that compared to PRX group, CHS-IVa (6.25 μg/mL) significantly increased cell viability by 12.9 % (<em>p</em> < 0.05); activated Nrf2/HO1 signaling pathway, reducing intracellular ROS levels by at least 21.9 % (<em>p</em> < 0.05), thereby alleviating oxidative stress injury; upregulated mRNA expression of androgen synthesis-related genes (StAR, CYP11a1, CYP17a1, LHr) by over 2-fold (<em>p</em> < 0.05), with maximal increases in testosterone, dihydrotestosterone and luteinizing hormone levels by 8.4 %, 50.4 % and 13.0 % respectively (<em>p</em> < 0.05); enhanced anti-apoptotic factor Bcl-2 mRNA and protein expression by up to 3.4-fold and 1.6-fold (<em>p</em> < 0.05), while reducing pro-apoptotic factor Bax mRNA and protein expression by 40.5 % and 44.6 % (<em>p</em> < 0.05), and decreasing Caspase-3 mRNA expression by 61.5 % (<em>p</em> < 0.05), ultimately reducing PRX-induced abnormal apoptosis in TM3 cells. In conclusion, CHS-IVa serves as the key active component in <em>Pfaffia glomerata</em> that protects against PRX-induced reproductive toxicity by ameliorating injury in TM3 cells through multiple mechanisms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21137,"journal":{"name":"Reproductive toxicology","volume":"137 ","pages":"Article 109039"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8000,"publicationDate":"2025-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":"{\"title\":\"Chikusetsusaponin IVa ameliorates paroxetine-induced Leydig cells (TM3 cells) injury via the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway\",\"authors\":\"Qianqian Huang , Haiying Wu , Xiangxin Xiao , Zhen Lu , Xiuping Fan , Wenhong Cao , Suqing Liu , Xiaoming Qin\",\"doi\":\"10.1016/j.reprotox.2025.109039\",\"DOIUrl\":null,\"url\":null,\"abstract\":\"<div><div>Paroxetine (PRX) exhibits significant toxic effects on the male reproductive system. Previous animal studies have demonstrated that <em>Pfaffia glomerata</em> extract can ameliorate PRX-induced sexual dysfunction in male mice, but its active components and underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Chikusetsusaponin IVa (CHS-IVa), a major saponin component of <em>Pfaffia glomerata</em> with well-documented antioxidant and anti-apoptotic activities, has become a research focus. This study aimed to investigate whether CHS-IVa could mitigate PRX-induced injury in mouse Leydig cells (TM3 cells) by regulating oxidative stress, apoptosis, and androgen synthesis pathways. To achieve this, a PRX-induced injury model in TM3 cells was established and subjected to comprehensive evaluation using CCK-8 assay for cell viability, ELISA for sex hormone levels, DCFH-DA fluorescent probe for reactive oxygen species (ROS) detection, and RT-qPCR/Western blot for mRNA and protein expression analysis. Results showed that compared to PRX group, CHS-IVa (6.25 μg/mL) significantly increased cell viability by 12.9 % (<em>p</em> < 0.05); activated Nrf2/HO1 signaling pathway, reducing intracellular ROS levels by at least 21.9 % (<em>p</em> < 0.05), thereby alleviating oxidative stress injury; upregulated mRNA expression of androgen synthesis-related genes (StAR, CYP11a1, CYP17a1, LHr) by over 2-fold (<em>p</em> < 0.05), with maximal increases in testosterone, dihydrotestosterone and luteinizing hormone levels by 8.4 %, 50.4 % and 13.0 % respectively (<em>p</em> < 0.05); enhanced anti-apoptotic factor Bcl-2 mRNA and protein expression by up to 3.4-fold and 1.6-fold (<em>p</em> < 0.05), while reducing pro-apoptotic factor Bax mRNA and protein expression by 40.5 % and 44.6 % (<em>p</em> < 0.05), and decreasing Caspase-3 mRNA expression by 61.5 % (<em>p</em> < 0.05), ultimately reducing PRX-induced abnormal apoptosis in TM3 cells. In conclusion, CHS-IVa serves as the key active component in <em>Pfaffia glomerata</em> that protects against PRX-induced reproductive toxicity by ameliorating injury in TM3 cells through multiple mechanisms.</div></div>\",\"PeriodicalId\":21137,\"journal\":{\"name\":\"Reproductive toxicology\",\"volume\":\"137 \",\"pages\":\"Article 109039\"},\"PeriodicalIF\":2.8000,\"publicationDate\":\"2025-08-28\",\"publicationTypes\":\"Journal Article\",\"fieldsOfStudy\":null,\"isOpenAccess\":false,\"openAccessPdf\":\"\",\"citationCount\":\"0\",\"resultStr\":null,\"platform\":\"Semanticscholar\",\"paperid\":null,\"PeriodicalName\":\"Reproductive toxicology\",\"FirstCategoryId\":\"3\",\"ListUrlMain\":\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0890623825002102\",\"RegionNum\":4,\"RegionCategory\":\"医学\",\"ArticlePicture\":[],\"TitleCN\":null,\"AbstractTextCN\":null,\"PMCID\":null,\"EPubDate\":\"\",\"PubModel\":\"\",\"JCR\":\"Q2\",\"JCRName\":\"REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY\",\"Score\":null,\"Total\":0}","platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Reproductive toxicology","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0890623825002102","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
Chikusetsusaponin IVa ameliorates paroxetine-induced Leydig cells (TM3 cells) injury via the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway
Paroxetine (PRX) exhibits significant toxic effects on the male reproductive system. Previous animal studies have demonstrated that Pfaffia glomerata extract can ameliorate PRX-induced sexual dysfunction in male mice, but its active components and underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Chikusetsusaponin IVa (CHS-IVa), a major saponin component of Pfaffia glomerata with well-documented antioxidant and anti-apoptotic activities, has become a research focus. This study aimed to investigate whether CHS-IVa could mitigate PRX-induced injury in mouse Leydig cells (TM3 cells) by regulating oxidative stress, apoptosis, and androgen synthesis pathways. To achieve this, a PRX-induced injury model in TM3 cells was established and subjected to comprehensive evaluation using CCK-8 assay for cell viability, ELISA for sex hormone levels, DCFH-DA fluorescent probe for reactive oxygen species (ROS) detection, and RT-qPCR/Western blot for mRNA and protein expression analysis. Results showed that compared to PRX group, CHS-IVa (6.25 μg/mL) significantly increased cell viability by 12.9 % (p < 0.05); activated Nrf2/HO1 signaling pathway, reducing intracellular ROS levels by at least 21.9 % (p < 0.05), thereby alleviating oxidative stress injury; upregulated mRNA expression of androgen synthesis-related genes (StAR, CYP11a1, CYP17a1, LHr) by over 2-fold (p < 0.05), with maximal increases in testosterone, dihydrotestosterone and luteinizing hormone levels by 8.4 %, 50.4 % and 13.0 % respectively (p < 0.05); enhanced anti-apoptotic factor Bcl-2 mRNA and protein expression by up to 3.4-fold and 1.6-fold (p < 0.05), while reducing pro-apoptotic factor Bax mRNA and protein expression by 40.5 % and 44.6 % (p < 0.05), and decreasing Caspase-3 mRNA expression by 61.5 % (p < 0.05), ultimately reducing PRX-induced abnormal apoptosis in TM3 cells. In conclusion, CHS-IVa serves as the key active component in Pfaffia glomerata that protects against PRX-induced reproductive toxicity by ameliorating injury in TM3 cells through multiple mechanisms.
期刊介绍:
Drawing from a large number of disciplines, Reproductive Toxicology publishes timely, original research on the influence of chemical and physical agents on reproduction. Written by and for obstetricians, pediatricians, embryologists, teratologists, geneticists, toxicologists, andrologists, and others interested in detecting potential reproductive hazards, the journal is a forum for communication among researchers and practitioners. Articles focus on the application of in vitro, animal and clinical research to the practice of clinical medicine.
All aspects of reproduction are within the scope of Reproductive Toxicology, including the formation and maturation of male and female gametes, sexual function, the events surrounding the fusion of gametes and the development of the fertilized ovum, nourishment and transport of the conceptus within the genital tract, implantation, embryogenesis, intrauterine growth, placentation and placental function, parturition, lactation and neonatal survival. Adverse reproductive effects in males will be considered as significant as adverse effects occurring in females. To provide a balanced presentation of approaches, equal emphasis will be given to clinical and animal or in vitro work. Typical end points that will be studied by contributors include infertility, sexual dysfunction, spontaneous abortion, malformations, abnormal histogenesis, stillbirth, intrauterine growth retardation, prematurity, behavioral abnormalities, and perinatal mortality.