Testicular Toxicity in Rats Exposed to AlCl3: a Proteomics Study

• Published in: Biological trace element research Vol. 202; no. 3; pp. 1084 - 1102
• Main Authors: Peng, Huixin, Huang, Yanxin, Wei, Guangji, Pang, Yanfang, Yuan, Huixiong, Zou, Xiong, Xie, Yu’an, Chen, Wencheng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.03.2024; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aluminium; Aluminum; Aluminum chloride; Biochemistry; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biotechnology; Calcium; Contamination; Encyclopaedias; Encyclopedias; Exposure; Follicle-stimulating hormone; Genes; Genomes; Hormones; Life Sciences; Luteinizing hormone; Nutrition; Oncology; Oxidative phosphorylation; Phosphorylation; Protein interaction; Proteins; Proteomics; Public health; Ribosomes; Sex hormones; Sheaths; Sperm; Spermatozoa; Testes; Testosterone; Toxicity; Testis; TMT; AlCl; Toxicity; Proteomics
• ISSN: 0163-4984; 1559-0720
• DOI: 10.1007/s12011-023-03745-6

Aluminum contamination is a growing environmental and public health concern, and aluminum testicular toxicity has been reported in male rats; however, the underlying mechanisms of this toxicity are unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of exposure to aluminum chloride (AlCl 3 ) on alterations in the levels of sex hormones (testosterone [T], luteinizing hormone [LH], and follicle-stimulating hormone [FSH]) and testicular damage. Additionally, the mechanisms of toxicity in the testes of AlCl 3 -exposed rats were analyzed by proteomics. Three different concentrations of AlCl 3 were administered to rats. The results demonstrated a decrease in T, LH, and FSH levels with increasing concentrations of AlCl 3 exposure. HE staining results revealed that the spermatogenic cells in the AlCl 3 -exposed rats were widened, disorganized, or absent, with increased severe tissue destruction at higher concentrations of AlCl 3 exposure. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analyses revealed that differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) after AlCl 3 exposure were primarily associated with various metabolic processes, sperm fibrous sheath, calcium-dependent protein binding, oxidative phosphorylation, and ribosomes. Subsequently, DEPs from each group were subjected to protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis followed by the screening of interactional key DEPs. Western blot experiments validated the proteomics data, revealing the downregulation of sperm-related DEPs (AKAP4, ODF1, and OAZ3) and upregulation of regulatory ribosome-associated protein (UBA52) and mitochondrial ribosomal protein (MRPL32). These findings provide a basis for studying the mechanism of testicular toxicity due to AlCl 3 exposure.