Alleviative Effect of Rutin on Zearalenone-Induced Reproductive Toxicity in Male Mice by Preventing Spermatogenic Cell Apoptosis and Modulating Gene Expression in the Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Gonadal Axis
Hira Sayed,
Qiongqiong Zhang,
Yu Tang,
Yanan Wang,
Yongpeng Guo,
Jianyun Zhang,
Cheng Ji,
Qiugang Ma,
Lihong Zhao
Affiliations
Hira Sayed
State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, Poultry Nutrition and Feed Technology Innovation Team, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, No. 2. West Road Yuanming Yuan, Beijing 100193, China
Qiongqiong Zhang
State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, Poultry Nutrition and Feed Technology Innovation Team, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, No. 2. West Road Yuanming Yuan, Beijing 100193, China
Yu Tang
State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, Poultry Nutrition and Feed Technology Innovation Team, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, No. 2. West Road Yuanming Yuan, Beijing 100193, China
Yanan Wang
State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, Poultry Nutrition and Feed Technology Innovation Team, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, No. 2. West Road Yuanming Yuan, Beijing 100193, China
Yongpeng Guo
College of Animal Science and Technology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
Jianyun Zhang
State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, Poultry Nutrition and Feed Technology Innovation Team, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, No. 2. West Road Yuanming Yuan, Beijing 100193, China
Cheng Ji
State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, Poultry Nutrition and Feed Technology Innovation Team, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, No. 2. West Road Yuanming Yuan, Beijing 100193, China
Qiugang Ma
State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, Poultry Nutrition and Feed Technology Innovation Team, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, No. 2. West Road Yuanming Yuan, Beijing 100193, China
Lihong Zhao
State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, Poultry Nutrition and Feed Technology Innovation Team, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, No. 2. West Road Yuanming Yuan, Beijing 100193, China
Zearalenone (ZEN) is a non-steroidal estrogenic mycotoxin found in many agricultural products and can cause reproductive disorders, mainly affecting spermatogenesis in male animals. Rutin (RUT) is a natural flavonoid compound recognized for its significant antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and estrogenic properties. The present study aimed to determine the protective role of RUT against ZEN-induced reproductive toxicity in male mice. Twenty-four adult Kunming male mice were divided into four groups: control, RUT (500 mg/kg RUT), ZEN (10 mg/kg ZEN), ZEN + RUT (500 mg/kg RUT + 10 mg/kg ZEN), with six replicates per treatment. The results indicated that RUT mitigated ZEN-induced disruption in spermatogenic cell arrangement, decreased spermatozoa count, and increased sperm mortality in the testes. RUT significantly restored ZEN-induced reduction in T, FSH, LH, and E2 serum levels. Moreover, RUT mitigated ZEN-induced apoptosis by increasing the mRNA expression level of bcl-2, decreasing the mRNA expression level of kiss1-r, and decreasing the protein expression level of caspase 8 in reproductive tissues. These findings indicate the protective role of RUT against ZEN-induced reproductive toxicity in male mice by regulating gonadotropin and testosterone secretions to maintain normal spermatogenesis via the HPG axis, which may provide a new application direction for RUT as a therapeutic agent to mitigate ZEN-induced reproductive toxicity.
