Moreira Rúben, Martins Ana D, Ferreira Rita, Alves Marco G, Pereira Maria de Lourdes, Oliveira Pedro F
Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
LAQV-REQUIMTE, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
Antioxidants (Basel). 2023 Dec 23;13(1):40. doi: 10.3390/antiox13010040.
Leydig cells (LCs) play a pivotal role in male fertility, producing testosterone. Chromium (III) picolinate (CrPic), a contentious supplement with antidiabetic and antioxidant properties, raises concerns regarding male fertility. Using a rodent LC line, we investigated the cytotoxicity of increasing CrPic doses. An insulin resistance (IR) model was established using palmitate (PA), and LCs were further exposed to CrPic to assess its antioxidant/antidiabetic activities. An exometabolome analysis was performed using H-NMR. Mitochondrial function and oxidative stress were evaluated via immunoblot. Steroidogenesis was assessed by quantifying androstenedione through ELISA. Our results uncover the toxic effects of CrPic on LCs even at low doses under IR conditions. Furthermore, even under these IR conditions, CrPic fails to enhance glucose consumption but restores the expression of mitochondrial complexes CII and CIII, alleviating oxidative stress in LCs. While baseline androgen production remained unaffected, CrPic promoted androstenedione production in LCs in the presence of PA, suggesting that it promotes cholesterol conversion into androgenic intermediates in this context. This study highlights the need for caution with CrPic even at lower doses. It provides valuable insights into the intricate factors influencing LCs metabolism and antioxidant defenses, shedding light on potential benefits and risks of CrPic, particularly in IR conditions.
睾丸间质细胞（LCs）在男性生育中起着关键作用，可产生睾酮。吡啶甲酸铬（CrPic）是一种具有抗糖尿病和抗氧化特性的有争议的补充剂，引发了对男性生育能力的担忧。我们使用一种啮齿动物LC细胞系，研究了递增剂量CrPic的细胞毒性。使用棕榈酸（PA）建立胰岛素抵抗（IR）模型，并将LCs进一步暴露于CrPic以评估其抗氧化/抗糖尿病活性。使用氢核磁共振（H-NMR）进行胞外代谢组分析。通过免疫印迹评估线粒体功能和氧化应激。通过酶联免疫吸附测定（ELISA）定量雄烯二酮来评估类固醇生成。我们的结果揭示了即使在IR条件下低剂量的CrPic对LCs也有毒性作用。此外，即使在这些IR条件下，CrPic也未能增强葡萄糖消耗，但恢复了线粒体复合物CII和CIII的表达，减轻了LCs中的氧化应激。虽然基线雄激素生成未受影响，但在PA存在的情况下，CrPic促进了LCs中雄烯二酮的生成，表明在这种情况下它促进了胆固醇转化为雄激素中间体。这项研究强调即使是低剂量的CrPic也需要谨慎使用。它为影响LCs代谢和抗氧化防御的复杂因素提供了有价值的见解，揭示了CrPic的潜在益处和风险，特别是在IR条件下。
