Reproductive toxicity and preliminary mechanism of polystyrene nanoplastics in male mice

Ya CHENG; Fei HAN; Yuehui LIANG; Chunsheng LU; Jinyi LIU; Huifang YANG; Jia CAO

doi:10.16016/j.2097-0927.202212008

您当前的位置：

首页 >

文章列表页 >

Reproductive toxicity and preliminary mechanism of polystyrene nanoplastics in male mice

Monographic Reports: Effect and mechanism of environmental factors on male reproductive health | 更新时间：2026-01-09

- Reproductive toxicity and preliminary mechanism of polystyrene nanoplastics in male mice
- Journal of Army Medical University Vol. 45, Issue 9, Pages: 876-884(2023)
- 作者机构：
  
  1.750021 银川，宁夏医科大学公共卫生与管理学院劳动卫生与环境卫生教研室
  2.400038 重庆，陆军军医大学(第三军医大学)军事预防医学系毒理学研究所
  3.750021 银川，宁夏环境因素与慢性病控制重点实验室
  4.430071 武汉，武汉大学公共卫生学院营养与食品卫生学系
  5.550025 贵阳，贵州医科大学公共卫生与健康学院卫生毒理学教研室
- 作者简介：
- 基金信息：
  
  the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2022YFC2702902);the Key Program of National Natural Science Foundation of China(82130097);the Natural Science Foundation of Chongqing(cstc2020jcyj-msxmX0419)
- DOI：10.16016/j.2097-0927.202212008
  CLC： R321.1;R363.21;R994.6
- Received：01 December 2022，
  
  Revised：2023-02-27，
  
  Published：15 May 2023
- 稿件说明：
移动端阅览
Ya CHENG, Fei HAN, Yuehui LIANG, et al. Reproductive toxicity and preliminary mechanism of polystyrene nanoplastics in male mice[J]. Journal of Army Medical University, 2023, 45(9): 876-884.
DOI：

Ya CHENG, Fei HAN, Yuehui LIANG, et al. Reproductive toxicity and preliminary mechanism of polystyrene nanoplastics in male mice[J]. Journal of Army Medical University, 2023, 45(9): 876-884. DOI： 10.16016/j.2097-0927.202212008.

摘要

目的

分析聚苯乙烯纳米塑料(polystyrene nanoparticles

PS-NPs)亚慢性暴露对成年雄性小鼠生殖功能的影响，并探讨其影响睾酮(testosterone，T)合成的可能分子机制。

方法

60只8周龄C57BL/6雄性小鼠完全随机分成对照组(去离子水组)、PS-NPs低暴露组(10 mg/kg，10 PS组)和高暴露组(40 mg/kg，40 PS组)，每组20只。每日灌胃1次，连续60 d。末次染毒24 h后，称量并计算各组小鼠睾丸、附睾、脑、肝、脾、肺、肾的质量和脏器系数；运用HE染色分析睾丸组织病理形态差异；透射电子显微镜观察睾丸细胞的超微结构改变；采用计算机辅助精液分析系统分析精液参数；采用酶联免疫吸附实验(ELISA)检测血清T、黄体生成素(luteinizing hormone

LH)和卵泡刺激素(follicle-stimulating hormone

FSH)含量；结合转录组测序数据分析结果，采用荧光定量PCR(qPCR)法检测各组小鼠睾丸组织中T合成关键基因的表达水平。

结果

与对照组相比，40 PS组小鼠附睾质量显著增加(

＜0.05)；10 PS组小鼠睾丸脏器系数和40 PS组小鼠附睾脏器系数均显著增加(

＜0.05)；10 PS和40 PS组小鼠肝和脾的质量以及脏器系数均显著下降(

＜0.05)。病理学结果显示，与对照组相比，10 PS和40 PS组小鼠睾丸生精小管管腔增大，生精细胞松散，空泡化增多；透射电镜下可见10 PS和40 PS组睾丸间质细胞胞浆中线粒体肿胀和内质网扩张。10 PS组小鼠精子活力较对照组显著下降(

＜0.05)；10 PS和40 PS组小鼠血清T水平均降低，其中40 PS组下降显著(

＜0.05)；10 PS和40 PS组小鼠血清LH和FSH水平较对照组均显著上升(

＜0.05)。10 PS和40 PS组小鼠睾丸中CYP11A1的mRNA表达较对照组均显著下调(

＜0.05)。

结论

PS-NPs会导致小鼠睾丸病理和功能损伤，并可能通过影响睾丸间质细胞结构下调T生成关键基因CYP11A1的表达，降低T的合成。

Abstract

Objective

To analyze the effect of subchronic exposure of polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) on reproductive function in adult male mice

and to explore the preliminary molecular mechanism of its impact on testosterone synthesis.

Methods

Sixty 8-week-old C57BL/6 male mice were fully randomly divided into control group (deionized water) and PS-NPs low (10 mg/kg

10 PS) and high exposure group (40 mg/kg

40 PS)

with 20 mice in each group. The mice were treated once per day for 60 d by gavage. The weights and organ coefficient of the testes

epididymis

brain

liver

spleen

lung and kidney of each group of mice were weighed and calculated at 24 h after the last exposure. HE staining was used to analyze the histopathological differences of testicular tissue

and transmission electron microscopy was used to observe the ultrastructural changes of testicular cells. The computer assisted sperm assay system was used to analyze semen parameters

the contents of serum testosterone (T)

luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)

and the expression levels of key genes for T synthesis

which had been screened by transcriptome sequencing

were determined in testicular tissues by real-time PCR.

Results

Compared with the control group

the weight of the epididymis in the 40 PS group was increased significantly (

0.05)

the testicular organ coefficients of mice in the 10 PS group and the epididymis organs coefficients of mice in the 40 PS group were increased obviously (

0.05)

and the weight and organ coefficients of the liver and spleen of the mice in the 10 PS and 40 PS groups were decreased remarkably (

0.05). The pathological results showed that compared with the testis of the control group

the lumen of the semininogenic tubule in the 10 PS and 40 PS groups were enlarged

the semimatogenic cells were loose

and the vacuoleization was increased. Transmission electron microscopy displayed that mitochondrial swelling and endoplasmic reticulum expansion were observed in the cytoplasm of Leydig cells in 10 PS and 40 PS groups. The sperm motility of mice in the 10 PS group was decreased significantly compared with the control group (

0.05). The serum T level of mice in the 10 PS and 40 PS groups was decreased

with that of the 40 PS group more significant (

0.05). The serum LH and FSH levels of mice in the 10 PS and 40 PS groups were increased notably. Compared with the control group

the mRNA levels of CYP11A1 in the testes of mice were significantly down-regulated in both 10 PS and 40 PS groups (

0.05).

Conclusion

PS-NPs can cause damage to the testes pathologically and functionally in mice

and may reduce T synthesis by inducing structural abnormalities of Leydig cells and down-regulating CYP11A1 expression.

关键词

Keywords

references

ALI M U, LIN S Y, YOUSAF B, et al . Environmental emission, fate and transformation of microplastics in biotic and abiotic compartments: global status, recent advances and future perspectives[J ] . Sci Total Environ, 2021, 791: 148422. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148422.

GEYER R, JAMBECK J R, LAW K L. Production, use, and fate of all plastics ever made[J]. Sci Adv, 2017, 3(7): e1700782. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1700782.

RIOS-MENDOZA L M, ONTIVEROS-CUADRAS J F, LEON-VARGAS D, et al . Microplastic contamination and fluxes in a touristic area at the SE Gulf of California[J ] . Mar Pollut Bull, 2021, 170: 112638. DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112638.

ZHANG D D, FRASER M A, HUANG W, et al . Microplastic pollution in water, sediment, and specific tissues of crayfish ( Procambarus clarkii ) within two different breeding modes in Jianli, Hubei Province, China[J ] . Environ Pollut, 2021, 272: 115939. DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115939..

LEI K, QIAO F, LIU Q, et al . Microplastics releasing from personal care and cosmetic products in China[J ] . Mar Pollut Bull, 2017, 123(1/2): 122-126. DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.09.016.

ANDRADY A L, NEAL M A. Applications and societal benefits of plastics[J]. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci, 2009, 364(1526): 1977-1984. DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2008.0304.

ILECHUKWU I, EHIGIATOR B E, BEN I O, et al . Chronic toxic effects of polystyrene microplastics on reproductive parameters of male rats[J ] . Environ Anal Health Toxicol, 2022, 37(2): e2022015-e2022010. DOI: 10.5620/eaht.2022015.

LI S W, MA Y, YE S Z, et al . Endogenous hydrogen sulfide counteracts polystyrene nanoplastics-induced mitochondrial apoptosis and excessive autophagy via regulating Nrf2 and PGC-1α signaling pathway in mouse spermatocyte-derived GC-2spd(ts) cells[J ] . Food Chem Toxicol, 2022, 164: 113071. DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2022.113071..

DENG Y F, ZHANG Y, LEMOS B, et al . Tissue accumulation of microplastics in mice and biomarker responses suggest widespread health risks of exposure[J ] . Sci Rep, 2017, 7: 46687. DOI: 10.1038/srep46687.

ZHOU L X, YU Z Y, XIA Y Y, et al . Repression of autophagy leads to acrosome biogenesis disruption caused by a sub-chronic oral administration of polystyrene nanoparticles[J ] . Environ Int, 2022, 163: 107220. DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107220.

AU S Y, BRUCE T F, BRIDGES W C, et al . Responses of Hyalella azteca to acute and chronic microplastic exposures[J ] . Environ Toxicol Chem, 2015, 34(11): 2564-2572. DOI: 10.1002/etc.3093..

LIU Z Q, ZHUAN Q R, ZHANG L Y, et al . Polystyrene microplastics induced female reproductive toxicity in mice[J ] . J Hazard Mater, 2022, 424: 127629. DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.127629.

WICK P, MALEK A, MANSER P, et al . Barrier capacity of human placenta for nanosized materials[J ] . Environ Health Perspect, 2010, 118(3): 432- 436. DOI: 10.1289/ehp.0901200.

JIN H B, YAN M H, PAN C, et al . Chronic exposure to polystyrene microplastics induced male reproductive toxicity and decreased testosterone levels via the LH-mediated LHR/cAMP/PKA/StAR pathway[J ] . Part Fibre Toxicol, 2022, 19(1): 13. DOI: 10.1186/s12989-022-00453-2..

SHI W, SUN S G, HAN Y, et al . Microplastics hamper the fertilization success of a broadcast spawning bivalve through reducing gamete collision and gamete fusion efficiency[J ] . Aquat Toxicol, 2022, 242: 106049. DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2021.106049.

LI S D, WANG Q M, YU H, et al . Polystyrene microplastics induce blood-testis barrier disruption regulated by the MAPK-Nrf2 signaling pathway in rats[J ] . Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2021, 28(35): 47921-47931. DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-13911-9.

HUANG T, ZHANG W J, LIN T T, et al . Maternal exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics during gestation and lactation induces hepatic and testicular toxicity in male mouse offspring[J ] . Food Chem Toxicol, 2022, 160: 112803. DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2021.112803.

JIN H B, MA T, SHA X X, et al . Polystyrene microplastics induced male reproductive toxicity in mice[J ] . J Hazard Mater, 2021, 401: 123430. DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.123430.

YANG L D, MA T T, ZHAO L J, et al . Circadian regulation of apolipoprotein gene expression affects testosterone production in mouse testis[J ] . Theriogenology, 2021, 174: 9-19. DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2021.06.023.

XING H Z, CHEN S B, WANG X L, et al . 3-Monochloropropane-1, 2-diol causes spermatogenesis failure in male rats via Sertoli cell dysfunction but not testosterone reduction[J ] . Toxicol Lett, 2022, 360: 1-10. DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2022.01.006..

黄婉月. AFB 1 致小鼠睾酮合成障碍的分子机制及ROS/AMPK信号通路的调控作用[D ] . 哈尔滨: 东北农业大学, 2021.

HUANG W Y. Molecular mechanism of AFB 1 -induced testosterone synthesis disorder in mice and the regulation of ROS/AMPK signaling pathway[D ] . Harbin: Northeast Agricultural University, 2021.

CHOI Y, LEE E G, LEE G, et al . Amodiaquine promotes testosterone production and de novo synthesis of cholesterol and triglycerides in Leydig cells[J ] . J Lipid Res, 2021, 62: 100152. DOI: 10.1016/j.jlr.2021.100152..

赵焕焕, 庚天琦, 张燕, 等. 草甘膦对雄性大鼠睾酮合成的影响[J]. 生态毒理学报, 2018, 13(5): 242-247. DOI: 10.7524/AJE.1673-5897.20180508004.

ZHAO H H, GENG T Q, ZHANG Y, et al . Effects of glyphosate on testosterone synthesis in male rats[J ] . Asian J Ecotoxicol, 2018, 13(5): 242-247. DOI: 10.7524/AJE.1673-5897.20180508004.

AJAYI A F, AKHIGBE R E. The physiology of male reproduction: impact of drugs and their abuse on male fertility[J]. Andrologia, 2020, 52(9): e13672. DOI: 10.1111/and.13672.

CORRADI P F, CORRADI R B, GREENE L W. Physiology of the hypothalamic pituitary gonadal axis in the male[J]. Urol Clin North Am, 2016, 43(2): 151-162. DOI: 10.1016/j.ucl.2016.01.001.

SALEEM T H, OKASHA M, IBRAHIM H M, et al . Biochemical assessments of seminal plasma zinc, testis-expressed sequence 101 and free amino acids and their correlations with reproductive hormones in male infertility[J ] . Biol Trace Elem Res, 2021, 199(5): 1729-1742. DOI: 10.1007/s12011-020-02310-9.

PETERSEN K U, HÆRVIG K K, FLACHS E M, et al . Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and male reproductive function in y oung adulthood; a cross-sectional study[J ] . Environ Res, 2022, 212: 113157. DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113157.

Views

下载量

CSCD

Alert me when the article has been cited

提交

Tools

Publicity Resources

Chronic exposure to polystyrene microplastics induces ferroptosis in testicular Sertoli cells

Effect of polystyrene micro/nanoplastics on mesenchymal phenotypic transformation in testicular Sertoli cells

Hypoxic transcriptional phenotype and cellular ultrastructural changes of tumor-associated macrophages in gliomas

Efficacy of microscopic spermatic vein ligation in treatment of nutcracker syndrome with only left varicocele

Analysis of semen parameters and sex hormones under low-dose PAEs exposure in Chongqing college students and comparison with reference dose

Related Author

LI Yi

WEN Yixian

CAI Jing

ZHANG Huilian

HAN Fei

CAI Jing

WEN Yixian

ZHANG Huilian

Related Institution

International Joint Research Laboratory of Reproduction and Development of Ministry of Education， School of Public Health， Chongqing Medical University

School of Medicine， Chongqing University

Institute of Pathology

Department of Blood Transfusion， First Affiliated Hospital， Army Medical University （Third Military Medical University）

⁰