Maher Adham M, Elsanosy Ghidaa A, Ghareeb Doaa A, Elblehi Samar S, Saleh Samar R
Bio-Screening and Preclinical Trial Lab, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria, 21511, Egypt.
Pharmaceutical and Fermentation Industries Development Centre (PFIDC), The City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications (SRTA-City), Borg Al‑Arab, Alexandria, Egypt.
Biol Trace Elem Res. 2024 Sep 30. doi: 10.1007/s12011-024-04374-3.
There has been a significant increase in human exposure to heavy metals (HMs) over the course of the previous century, primarily due to the extensive industrial processes. Male infertility is a prominent complication associated with lead exposure, wherein lead has the potential to accumulate within the testes, resulting in oxidative stress and inflammation. In addition, 10-hydroxydecanoic acid (10-HDA) is a component found in the secretions of worker bees and possesses the capacity to mitigate oxidative stress and prevent inflammation. Due to their advantageous properties, zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) possess a wide range of applications in the field of biomedicine. This study aimed to assess the therapeutic effect of 10-HDA and ZnO-NPs on testicular toxicity in rats induced by lead acetate (PbAc). PbAc was administered orally for a period of 3 months. Following that, 10-HDA and/or ZnO-NPs were administrated for 1 month. PbAc deformed seminal analysis, decreased seminal fructose and sex hormonal levels, and resulted in the development of histopathological complications. Additionally, PbAc increased MDA and decreased Nrf2 and HO-1 expression, confirmed by the declined antioxidant defense system. Furthermore, an increase in testicular inflammatory markers and the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio was observed subsequent to the administration of PbAc. The administration of 10-HDA and ZnO-NPs demonstrated significant efficacy in the restoration of semen quality, pituitary/gonadal hormones, antioxidants, and testicular histoarchitecture. Moreover, 10-HDA and ZnO-NPs decreased testicular inflammatory markers and apoptotic proteins (caspase-3 and Bax expression levels). In conclusion, combining 10-HDA and ZnO-NPs demonstrated synergistic potential in treating PbAc-induced testicular toxicity, thereby presenting a promising approach in nanomedicine and natural drugs.
在过去的一个世纪里，人类接触重金属（HMs）的情况显著增加，这主要归因于广泛的工业生产过程。男性不育是与铅暴露相关的一个突出并发症，其中铅有可能在睾丸内蓄积，导致氧化应激和炎症。此外，10-羟基癸酸（10-HDA）是工蜂分泌物中的一种成分，具有减轻氧化应激和预防炎症的能力。由于其有利特性，氧化锌纳米颗粒（ZnO-NPs）在生物医学领域有广泛应用。本研究旨在评估10-HDA和ZnO-NPs对醋酸铅（PbAc）诱导的大鼠睾丸毒性的治疗效果。口服给予PbAc，持续3个月。之后，给予10-HDA和/或ZnO-NPs，持续1个月。PbAc使精液分析结果异常，降低了精液果糖和性激素水平，并导致组织病理学并发症的发生。此外，PbAc使丙二醛（MDA）增加，核因子E2相关因子2（Nrf2）和血红素加氧酶-1（HO-1）表达降低，抗氧化防御系统下降证实了这一点。此外，给予PbAc后观察到睾丸炎症标志物和Bax/Bcl-2比值增加。给予10-HDA和ZnO-NPs在恢复精液质量、垂体/性腺激素、抗氧化剂和睾丸组织结构方面显示出显著疗效。此外，10-HDA和ZnO-NPs降低了睾丸炎症标志物和凋亡蛋白（半胱天冬酶-3和Bax表达水平）。总之，联合使用10-HDA和ZnO-NPs在治疗PbAc诱导的睾丸毒性方面显示出协同潜力，从而在纳米医学和天然药物方面呈现出一种有前景的方法。
