Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, 80121 Napoli, Italy.
Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, 80121 Napoli, Italy; Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), Rome, Italy.
Environ Int. 2018 Sep;118:325-333. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2018.05.034. Epub 2018 Jun 28.
Copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) are extensively used in various industrial and commercial applications. Despite their wide application may lead to the contamination of marine ecosystem, their potential environmental effects remain to be determined. Toxicity assessment studies have primarily focused on investigating the effects of CuO NPs on fertilization success and embryo development of different sea urchin species while the impact on sperm quality have never been assessed. In this line, this study aims to assess the effects of CuO NPs on the spermatozoa of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus. After sperm exposure to CuO NPs, biomarkers of sperm viability, cytotoxicity, oxidative stress, and genotoxicity as well as morphology were evaluated. Results showed that CuO NPs exposure decreased sperm viability, impaired mitochondrial activity and increased the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxidation. Furthermore, CuO NPs exposure caused DNA damage and morphological alterations. Together with the antioxidant rescue experiments, these results suggest that oxidative stress is the main driver of CuO NP spermiotoxic effects. The mechanism of toxicity is here proposed: the spontaneous generation of ROS induced by CuO NPs and the disruption of the mitochondrial respiratory chain lead to production of ROS that, in turn, induce lipid peroxidation and DNA damage, and result in defective spermatozoa up to induce sperm cytotoxicity. Investigating the effects of CuO NPs on sea urchin spermatozoa, this study provides valuable insights into the mechanism of reproductive toxicity induced by CuO NPs.
氧化铜纳米颗粒（CuO NPs）广泛应用于各种工业和商业应用中。尽管它们的广泛应用可能导致海洋生态系统受到污染，但它们的潜在环境影响仍有待确定。毒性评估研究主要集中在研究 CuO NPs 对不同海胆物种受精成功率和胚胎发育的影响，而对精子质量的影响从未进行过评估。在这方面，本研究旨在评估 CuO NPs 对海胆 Paracentrotus lividus 精子的影响。在精子暴露于 CuO NPs 后，评估了精子活力、细胞毒性、氧化应激和遗传毒性的生物标志物以及形态。结果表明，CuO NPs 暴露降低了精子活力，损害了线粒体活性，增加了活性氧（ROS）和脂质过氧化的产生。此外，CuO NPs 暴露导致 DNA 损伤和形态改变。结合抗氧化剂挽救实验，这些结果表明氧化应激是 CuO NP 精子毒性作用的主要驱动因素。提出了毒性作用的机制：CuO NPs 自发产生的 ROS 和线粒体呼吸链的破坏导致 ROS 的产生，反过来又诱导脂质过氧化和 DNA 损伤，导致精子缺陷，甚至导致精子细胞毒性。本研究调查了 CuO NPs 对海胆精子的影响，为 CuO NPs 诱导生殖毒性的机制提供了有价值的见解。
