Molybdenum and cadmium co-induce apoptosis and ferroptosis through inhibiting Nrf2 signaling pathway in duck (Anas platyrhyncha) testes

Jiamei Zhu; Xueyan Dai; Yan Wang; Ting Cui; Bingyan Huang; Dianyun Wang; Wenjing Pu; Caiying Zhang

Poultry Science (May 2024)

Molybdenum and cadmium co-induce apoptosis and ferroptosis through inhibiting Nrf2 signaling pathway in duck (Anas platyrhyncha) testes

Jiamei Zhu,
Xueyan Dai,
Yan Wang,
Ting Cui,
Bingyan Huang,
Dianyun Wang,
Wenjing Pu,
Caiying Zhang

Affiliations

Jiamei Zhu: Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory for Animal Health, Institute of Animal Population Health, College of Animal Science and Technology, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
Xueyan Dai: Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory for Animal Health, Institute of Animal Population Health, College of Animal Science and Technology, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
Yan Wang: College of Forestry/School of Landscape and Art, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
Ting Cui: Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory for Animal Health, Institute of Animal Population Health, College of Animal Science and Technology, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
Bingyan Huang: Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory for Animal Health, Institute of Animal Population Health, College of Animal Science and Technology, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
Dianyun Wang: Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory for Animal Health, Institute of Animal Population Health, College of Animal Science and Technology, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
Wenjing Pu: Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory for Animal Health, Institute of Animal Population Health, College of Animal Science and Technology, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
Caiying Zhang: Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory for Animal Health, Institute of Animal Population Health, College of Animal Science and Technology, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China; Corresponding author:

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 103, no. 5
p. 103653

Abstract

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ABSTRACT: Cadmium (Cd) and high molybdenum (Mo) are injurious to the body. Previous research has substantiated that Cd and Mo exposure caused testicular injury of ducks, but concrete mechanism is not fully clarified. To further survey the toxicity of co-exposure to Cd and Mo in testis, 40 healthy 8-day-old Shaoxing ducks (Anas platyrhyncha) were stochasticly distributed to 4 groups and raised with basic diet embracing Cd (4 mg/kg Cd) or Mo (100 mg/kg Mo) or both. At the 16th wk, testis tissues were gathered. The characteristic ultrastructural changes related to apoptosis and ferroptosis were observed in Mo or Cd or both groups. Besides, Mo or Cd or both repressed nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway via decreasing Nrf2, Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1), Glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit (GCLC) and Glutamate-cysteine ligase modifier subunit (GCLM) mRNA expression of and Nrf2 protein expression, then stimulated apoptosis by elevating Bcl-2 antagonist/killer-1 (Bak-1), Bcl-2-associated X-protein (Bax), Cytochrome complex (Cyt-C), caspase-3 mRNA expression, cleaved-caspase-3 protein expression and apoptosis rate, as well as reducing B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) mRNA expression and ratio of Bcl-2 to Bax, and triggered ferroptosis by upregulating Acyl-CoA Synthetase Long Chain Family Member 4 (ACSL4), transferrin receptor (TFR1) and Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthase 2 (PTGS2) expression levels, and downregulating ferritin heavy chain 1 (FTH1), ferritin light chain 1 (FTL1), ferroportin 1 (FPN1), solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SCL7A11) and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) expression levels. The most obvious changes of these indexes were observed in co-treated group. Altogether, the results announced that Mo or Cd or both evoked apoptosis and ferroptosis by inhibiting Nrf2 pathway in the testis of ducks, and co-exposure to Mo and Cd exacerbated these variations.

Published in Poultry Science

ISSN: 0032-5791 (Print); 1525-3171 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United States
LCC subjects: Agriculture: Animal culture
Website: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/poultry-science

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