Hebei Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Hebei Reproductive Health Hospital, No. 80 Heping Street, Xinhua District, Shijiazhuang, 050071, China.
Hebei General Hospital, Shijiazhuang, 050051, China.
Biol Trace Elem Res. 2024 May;202(5):2111-2123. doi: 10.1007/s12011-023-03815-9. Epub 2023 Aug 23.
Tripterygium glycosides (TG) can seriously damage male reproductive function, and the reproductive system is difficult to restore after stopping the administration of TG in male rats. Zinc (Zn) is one of the most important trace elements in the human body and plays an important role in maintaining male fertility. The aim of this study was to investigate whether zinc supplementation could improve the testicular reproductive damage induced by TG toxicity in rats and to investigate its mechanism of action. The results showed that zinc sulfate (ZnSO) could improve testicular tissue structure and semen parameters, promote testosterone synthesis, increase zinc-containing enzyme activity, increase zinc concentration in serum and testicular tissues, and maintain zinc homeostasis in male rats induced by TG toxicity. Zinc supplementation activated relevant signalling molecules in the KEAP1-NRF2/ARE pathway and alleviated TG-induced oxidative stress. Therefore, this study concluded that zinc supplementation could improve reproductive damage by regulating zinc homeostasis and the expression of genes related to oxidative stress.
雷公藤多苷（TG）可严重损害男性生殖功能，雄性大鼠停止 TG 给药后生殖系统难以恢复。锌（Zn）是人体最重要的微量元素之一，在维持男性生育能力方面发挥着重要作用。本研究旨在探讨补锌是否可以改善 TG 毒性诱导的雄性大鼠睾丸生殖损伤，并探讨其作用机制。结果表明，硫酸锌（ZnSO）可改善 TG 毒性诱导的雄性大鼠睾丸组织结构和精液参数，促进睾酮合成，增加含锌酶活性，提高血清和睾丸组织中锌浓度，维持锌平衡。补锌可激活 KEAP1-NRF2/ARE 通路相关信号分子，减轻 TG 诱导的氧化应激。因此，本研究得出结论，补锌通过调节锌平衡和氧化应激相关基因的表达可以改善生殖损伤。
