Department of Medical Sciences, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Jul 26;23(15):8206. doi: 10.3390/ijms23158206.
Carbamates are widely used and known around the world as pesticides in spite of also having medical applications. This class of chemicals is classified as acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, blocking acetylcholine hydrolyzation in a reversible manner. Their lack of species selectivity and their reported high toxicity can induce, upon exposure, adverse outcomes in male fertility that may lead to infertility. In addition, they are also considered endocrine-disrupting chemicals and can interfere with the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis, essential for the normal function of the male reproductive system, thus being able to provoke male reproductive dysfunctions. Although the molecular mechanisms are not fully understood, various signaling pathways, such as those mediated by acetylcholine or kisspeptin, are affected by exposure to carbamates, thus compromising steroidogenesis and spermatogenesis. Over the last decades, several studies, both in vitro and in vivo, have reported a myriad of negative effects of carbamates on the male reproductive system. In this review, an up-to-date overview of the impact of carbamates on the male reproductive system is discussed, with an emphasis on the role of these compounds on acetylcholine regulation and the male endocrine system.
氨基甲酸酯类化合物在世界范围内被广泛用作农药，尽管它们也有医学应用。这类化学物质被归类为乙酰胆碱酯酶抑制剂，以可逆的方式阻止乙酰胆碱的水解。它们缺乏物种选择性，且据报道具有高毒性，接触后可能会对男性生育能力产生不良影响，导致不育。此外，它们也被认为是内分泌干扰化学物质，可以干扰下丘脑-垂体-睾丸轴，这对男性生殖系统的正常功能至关重要，因此能够引发男性生殖功能障碍。尽管其分子机制尚未完全阐明，但各种信号通路，如乙酰胆碱或 kisspeptin 介导的信号通路，都会受到氨基甲酸酯类化合物暴露的影响，从而影响类固醇生成和精子发生。在过去的几十年中，无论是在体外还是体内，都有多项研究报告了氨基甲酸酯类化合物对男性生殖系统的多种负面影响。在这篇综述中，讨论了氨基甲酸酯类化合物对男性生殖系统的最新影响，重点讨论了这些化合物在乙酰胆碱调节和男性内分泌系统中的作用。
