Nrf2-mediated ferroptosis of spermatogenic cells involved in male reproductive toxicity induced by polystyrene nanoplastics in mice
- Author:
FU XUFENG
1
,
2
;
HAN HANG
;
YANG HONG
;
XU BO
;
DAI WENJIE
;
LIU LING
;
HE TIANTIAN
;
DU XING
;
PEI XIUYING
Author Information
- Keywords: Polystyrene nanoplastics(PS-NPs); Reproductive toxicity; Ferroptosis; Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2(Nrf2)
- From: Journal of Zhejiang University. Science. B 2024;25(4):307-323,中插1-中插15
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
- Abstract: Microplastics(MPs)and nanoplastics(NPs)have become hazardous materials due to the massive amount of plastic waste and disposable masks,but their specific health effects remain uncertain.In this study,fluorescence-labeled polystyrene NPs(PS-NPs)were injected into the circulatory systems of mice to determine the distribution and potential toxic effects of NPs in vivo.Interestingly,whole-body imaging found that PS-NPs accumulated in the testes of mice.Therefore,the toxic effects of PS-NPs on the reproduction systems and the spermatocytes cell line of male mice,and their mechanisms,were investigated.After oral exposure to PS-NPs,their spermatogenesis was affected and the spermatogenic cells were damaged.The spermatocyte cell line GC-2 was exposed to PS-NPs and analyzed using RNA sequencing(RNA-seq)to determine the toxic mechanisms;a ferroptosis pathway was found after PS-NP exposure.The phenomena and indicators of ferroptosis were then determined and verified by ferroptosis inhibitor ferrostatin-1(Fer-1),and it was also found that nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2(Nrf2)played an important role in spermatogenic cell ferroptosis induced by PS-NPs.Finally,it was confirmed in vivo that this mechanism of Nrf2 played a protective role in PS-NPs-induced male reproductive toxicity.This study demonstrated that PS-NPs induce male reproductive dysfunction in mice by causing spermatogenic cell ferroptosis dependent on Nrf2.
