Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ezhou Central Hospital, Hubei University of Science and Technology, Ezhou 436000, China.
National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health and Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
Biomolecules. 2024 Nov 17;14(11):1460. doi: 10.3390/biom14111460.
Widespread endocrine disorders and infertility caused by environmental and food pollutants have drawn considerable global attention. Aflatoxins (AFTs), a prominent class of mycotoxins, are recognized as one of the key contributors to environmental and food contamination. Aflatoxin B (AFB) is the most potent and toxic pollutant among them and is known to cause multiple toxic effects, including neuro-, nephro-, hepato-, immune-, and genotoxicity. Recently, concerns have been raised regarding AFB-induced infertility in both animals and humans. Exposure to AFB can disrupt the structure and functionality of reproductive organs, leading to gametogenesis impairment in males, subsequently reducing fertility. The potential molecular mechanisms have been demonstrated to involve oxidative stress, cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, inflammatory responses, and autophagy. Furthermore, several signaling pathways, including nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2; NOD-, LRR-, and pyrin domain-containing protein 3; nuclear factor kappa-B; p53; p21; phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B; the mammalian target of rapamycin; adenosine 5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinase; and mitochondrial apoptotic pathways, are implicated in these processes. Various interventions, including the use of small molecules, Chinese herbal extracts, probiotic supplementation, and camel milk, have shown efficacy in ameliorating AFB-induced male reproductive toxicity, by targeting these signaling pathways. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the harmful impacts of AFB exposure on male reproductive organs in mammals, highlighting the potential molecular mechanisms and protective agents.
环境和食物污染物引起的广泛内分泌紊乱和不孕不育引起了全球的极大关注。黄曲霉毒素（AFTs）是一类重要的真菌毒素，被认为是环境和食物污染的主要因素之一。黄曲霉毒素 B（AFB）是其中毒性最强、最具毒性的污染物，已知会导致多种毒性作用，包括神经毒性、肾毒性、肝毒性、免疫毒性和遗传毒性。最近，人们对 AFB 引起的动物和人类不孕不育问题表示担忧。暴露于 AFB 会破坏生殖器官的结构和功能，导致男性配子发生受损，从而降低生育能力。已经证明其潜在的分子机制涉及氧化应激、细胞周期停滞、细胞凋亡、炎症反应和自噬。此外，包括核因子红细胞 2 相关因子 2；含 NOD、LRR 和 pyrin 结构域的蛋白 3；核因子 kappa-B；p53；p21；磷酸肌醇 3-激酶/蛋白激酶 B；哺乳动物雷帕霉素靶蛋白；腺苷 5'-单磷酸激活蛋白激酶；和线粒体凋亡途径在内的几种信号通路都与这些过程有关。各种干预措施，包括使用小分子、中草药提取物、益生菌补充剂和骆驼奶，通过靶向这些信号通路，已被证明可有效改善 AFB 引起的雄性生殖毒性。本综述全面总结了 AFB 暴露对哺乳动物雄性生殖器官的有害影响，强调了潜在的分子机制和保护剂。
