Atrazine exposure caused oxidative stress in male rats and inhibited brain-pituitary-testicular functions.

Exposure to the herbicide atrazine has been shown to have deleterious effects on human and animal reproduction. To determine whether atrazine influences the brain-pituitary-testicular axis directly or indirectly, the present study examined the toxic effects of atrazine on fertility potential by assessing gonadal hormones, testicular function indices, sperm quality, and oxido-inflammatory markers in rats. Twelve animals were grouped into two groups; control and atrazine. The control group received oral administration of olive oil (2 mL/kg), while the atrazine group received 120 mg/kg of atrazine. Treatments were daily and lasted for 7 days. Upon treatment cessation, rats were necropsied for biochemical and histopathological analyses. The biochemical function indices in the rat brain, testis, and epididymis decreased significantly in the atrazine group. Atrazine exposure led to decreases in gonadal hormonal concentrations, semen quality parameters, and testicular function indices compared with the control. Furthermore, there was a marked increase in oxidative stress and inflammatory markers as well as degeneration of the histo-architecture in atrazine-treated rats. Overall, atrazine exposure impaired sperm quality, led to increased inflammation and oxidative stress, and decreased the activity of the brain-pituitary-testicular axis via endocrine disruption.

Exploring Nrf2 as a therapeutic target in testicular dysfunction.

Testicular dysfunction, a major contributory factor to infertility, has received a lot of attention over the recent years. Several studies have linked abnormal sperm function and morphology with an enhanced generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative stress. The nuclear factor erythroid-derived 2 (Nrf2) is a transcriptional response to cellular stresses (intrinsic or extrinsic) that regulates the oxidative status, mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation, and proteostasis. In this review, the therapeutic role of Nrf2 was explored. To do so, scientific data were retrieved from databases such as Elsevier, Wiley, Web of Science, Springer, PubMed, Taylor and Francis, and Google Scholar using search terms such as "Nrf2" and "testis," "sperm," "testicular function," and "testosterone." It has been noted that Nrf2 influences the physiology and pathology of testicular dysfunction, especially in the spermatogenic process, by regulating cellular resistance to oxidative stress, inflammation, and environmental toxicants. However, numerous compounds serve as activators and inhibitors of testicular Nrf2. Nrf2 activators might play a therapeutic role in the prevention and treatment of testicular dysfunction, while molecules that inhibit Nrf2 might induce dysfunction in testis components. Nrf2 activators protect cells against oxidative damage and activate Nrf2/KEAP1 signaling which promotes its movement to the nucleus, and increased Nrf2 function and expression, along with their downstream antioxidant gene. Nrf2 inhibitors facilitate oxidative stress via interfering with the Nrf2 signal pathway. The Nrf2 activation could serve as a promising therapeutic target for testicular dysfunction. This review explored the effect of Nrf2 on testicular function while highlighting potential activators and inhibitors of Nrf2.

Interaction between apoptosis and autophagy in testicular function.

Several processes including oxidative stress, apoptosis, inflammation and autophagy are related to testicular function. Recent studies indicate that a crosstalk between apoptosis and autophagy is essential in regulating testicular function. Autophagy and apoptosis communicate with each other in a complex way, allowing them to work for or against each other in testicular cell survival and death. Several xenobiotics especially endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) have caused reproductive toxicity because of their potential to modify the rate of autophagy and trigger apoptosis. Therefore, the purpose of the present review was to shed light on how autophagy and apoptosis interact together in the testis.

Implications of lifestyle factors on male reproductive health.

In recent decades, there has been a substantial decline in sperm quality in humans, with lifestyle factors playing a major role in this trend. There are several lifestyle factors which are contributing to male infertility. This review, however, discusses factors such as obesity, diet/nutrition, psychological stress, radiation exposure, cigarette smoking, and alcohol use with reference to male infertility. Sperm count, motility, morphology and sperm DNA may be adversely affected by lifestyle factors, which may also affect the endocrine regulation of reproductive function. The decline in male fertility has a significant impact on fertility rates, and the resulting implications for the human population make this a serious public health concern in the twenty-first century. Thus, lifestyle interventions through a specific framework of educational, environmental, nutritional/physical exercise, and psychological support coupled with the use of nutritional antioxidants supplements can help couples achieve better health and well-being and improve their fertility prospects or increase their chances of conception.

Impact of Watermelon (Citrallus lanatus) on Male Fertility.

Plants have been used in various regions of the world to treat various medical conditions including male infertility. The review aims to evaluate the pharmacological effects of watermelon consumption in improving male fertility and sexual function. Watermelon is a popular fruit consumed around the world for its diverse nutritional and health-promoting qualities. This study showed the mechanism via which watermelon enhances male fertility as it was reported for improving semen quality, reversing erectile dysfunction, enhancing testicular redox status, as well as improving gonadotropin secretion. These activities have been linked to their constituents as it contains vitamins and phytochemicals such as phenols and certain flavonoids that contribute to their antioxidant properties. Watermelon has also been noted to possess antimicrobial, anti-helminthic, antioxidant, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, and antihypertensive properties that may contribute to its therapeutic use.

Pharmacological action of quercetin against testicular dysfunction: A mini review.

The testis is an immune-privileged organ susceptible to oxidative stress and inflammation, two major factors implicated in male infertility. A reduction in the concentration and activities of testicular function biomarkers has been shown to correlate with impaired hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis and oxidative stress. However, the use of natural products to ameliorate these oxidative stress-induced changes may be essential to improving male reproductive function. Quercetin possesses several pharmacological activities that may help to combat cellular reproduction-related assaults, such as altered sperm function and reproductive hormone dysfunction, and dysregulated testicular apoptosis, oxidative stress, and inflammation. Studies have shown that quercetin ameliorates testicular toxicity, largely by inhibiting the generation of reactive oxygen species, with the aid of the two antioxidant pharmacophores present in its ring structure. The radical-scavenging property of quercetin may alter signal transduction of oxidative stress-induced apoptosis, prevent inflammation, and increase sperm quality in relation to the hormonal concentration. In this review, the therapeutic potential of quercetin in mediating male reproductive health is discussed.

Ketogenic diet improves and restores redox status and biochemical indices in monosodium glutamate-induced rat testicular toxicity.

This study investigated the effect of ketogenic diet on monosodium glutamate (MSG)-induced testicular dysfunction. Forty-six male rats (180 ±â€¯40 g) were grouped into two groups (23 rats each); control group and MSG-induced group (4 mg/kg bw) for 28 days. At the 29th day, 5 rats from both group were sacrificed to establish testicular dysfunction. The remaining animals from the control group was further divided into three sub-groups and treated for 42 days; untreated group, ketogenic diet only and curcumin only as the standard drug (150 mg/kg bw). In the pre-treatment, the administration of MSG resulted in a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in the testis-body weight ratio, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), acetylcholine esterase (AChE), cholesterol, triglycerides (TG), nitric oxide (NO), glycogen, protein and antioxidant enzymes in the testis. In the post treatment, the MSG only group significantly reduced testicular cholesterol, catalase (CAT) and NO. In contrast, MSG + ketogenic diet group showed a significant increase in levels of rat testicular acid phosphatase (ACP), ALP, cholesterol, HMG-CoA, TG, malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH) and NO. The ketogenic diet showed a significant increase (p < 0.05) in the levels of NO, ALP, cholesterol, HMG CoA reductase and (TG). In addition, significant increases in levels of rat testicular ACP, ALP, HMG-CoA, (CAT), SOD and GSH were recorded for MSG + Curcumin group. Taken together, the findings support the prospects of ketogenic diet to enhance the testicular function in rats.

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)-Induced Male Reproductive Dysfunction: A Mini Review.

Reproductive dysfunction is often characterized by malfunction of the reproductive tissues, which may lead to disruption of the synergistic rhythm that should bring about a progression of sexual events and the conception of new life. This may therefore result in the sexual dysfunction and infertility that can be seen in couples having prolonged biological difficulty in reproducing their offspring after having unrestricted sexual intercourse for at least twelve months. Several factors have been implicated in the cause and progression of reproductive dysfunction, including poor nutrition, drug side effects, disease states, and toxicant ingestion. A well-known food additive that has been found to be potent at initiating reproductive anomalies in males is monosodium glutamate (MSG). This regular flavor enhancer is widely used as a taste enhancer in several diets. The different mechanisms by which it may induce reproductive dysfunctions include spermatogenic alteration resulting in a low sperm count, high sperm abnormality, reduced live sperm and decreased sperm pH, oxidative damage (increased lipid peroxidation and reduced antioxidant enzyme activities), histological alteration (blood hemorrhage, distorted germ and Sertoli cells), as well as gonadotropin imbalance (reduced testosterone, luteinizing hormone, and follicle-stimulating hormone concentrations). Therefore, this review discusses various established mechanisms through which MSG may induce reproductive dysfunction and the treatment strategies to ameliorate its toxic effects.