Oral Exposure to Atrazine Induces Oxidative Stress and Calcium Homeostasis Disruption in Spleen of Mice

Atrazine: cytotoxicity, oxidative stress, apoptosis, testicular effects and chemopreventive Interventions

Atrazine (ATZ) is an environmental pollutant that interferes with several aspects of mammalian cellular processes including germ cell development, immunological, reproductive and neurological functions. At the level of human exposure, ATZ reduces sperm count and contribute to infertility in men. ATZ also induces morphological changes similar to apoptosis and initiates mitochondria-dependent cell death in several experimental models. When in vitro experimental models are exposed to ATZ, they are faced with increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), cytotoxicity and decreased growth rate at dosages that may vary with cell types. This results in differing cytotoxic responses that are influenced by the nature of target cells, assay types and concentrations of ATZ. However, oxidative stress could play salient role in the observed cellular and genetic toxicity and apoptosis-like effects which could be abrogated by antioxidant vitamins and flavonoids, including vitamin E, quercetin, kolaviron, myricetin and bioactive extractives with antioxidant effects. This review focuses on the differential responses of cell types to ATZ toxicity, testicular effects of ATZ in both in vitro and in vivo models and chemopreventive strategies, so as to highlight the current state of the art on the toxicological outcomes of ATZ exposure in several experimental model systems.

The rare-earth yttrium induces cell apoptosis and autophagy in the male reproductive system through ROS-Ca2+-CamkII/Ampk axis

China has the world's largest reserves of rare earth elements (REEs), but widespread mining and application of REEs has led to an increased risk of potential pollution. Yttrium (Y), the first heavy REEs to be discovered, poses a substantial threat to human health. Unfortunately, little attention has been given to the impact of Y on human reproductive health. In this study, we investigated the toxic effects of YCl3 on mouse testes and four types of testicular cells, including Sertoli, Leydig, spermatogonial and spermatocyte cells. The results showed that YCl3 exposure causes substantial damage to mouse testes and induces apoptosis and autophagy, but not pyroptosis or necrosis, in testicular cells. Genome-wide gene expression analysis revealed that YCl3 induced significant changes in gene expression, with Ca2+ and mitochondria-related genes being the most significantly altered. Mechanistically, YCl3 exposure induced mitochondrial dysfunction in testicular cells, triggering the overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by impairing the Nrf2 pathway, regulating downstream Ho-1 target protein expression, and increasing Ca2+ levels to activate the CamkII/Ampk signaling pathway. Blocking ROS production or Ca2+ signaling significantly attenuates apoptosis and autophagy, while supplementation with Ca2+ reverses the suppression of apoptosis and autophagy by ROS blockade in testicular cells. Notably, apoptosis and autophagy induced by YCl3 treatment are independent of each other. Thus, our study suggests that YCl3 may impair the antioxidant stress signaling pathway and activate the calcium pathway through the ROS-Ca2+ axis, which promotes testicular cell apoptosis and autophagy independently, thus inducing testicular damage and impairing male reproductive function.

Inhibition of Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase (FAAH) Regulates NF-kb Pathways Reducing Bleomycin-Induced Chronic Lung Inflammation and Pulmonary Fibrosis

The deadly interstitial lung condition known as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) worsens over time and for no apparent reason. The traditional therapy approaches for IPF, which include corticosteroids and immunomodulatory drugs, are often ineffective and can have noticeable side effects. The endocannabinoids are hydrolyzed by a membrane protein called fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH). Increasing endogenous levels of endocannabinoid by pharmacologically inhibiting FAAH results in numerous analgesic advantages in a variety of experimental models for pre-clinical pain and inflammation. In our study, we mimicked IPF by administering intratracheal bleomycin, and we administered oral URB878 at a dose of 5 mg/kg. The histological changes, cell infiltration, pro-inflammatory cytokine production, inflammation, and nitrosative stress caused by bleomycin were all reduced by URB878. Our data clearly demonstrate for the first time that the inhibition of FAAH activity was able to counteract not only the histological alteration bleomycin-induced but also the cascade of related inflammatory events.

Exposure to herbicides mixtures in relation to type 2 diabetes mellitus among Chinese rural population: Results from different statistical models

BACKGROUND

Although it has been reported that herbicides exposure is related to adverse outcomes, available evidence on the associations of quantitatively measured herbicides with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and prediabetes is still scant. Furthermore, the effects of herbicides mixtures on T2DM and prediabetes remain unclear among the Chinese rural population.

AIMS

To assess the associations of plasma herbicides with T2DM and prediabetes among the Chinese rural population.

METHODS

A total of 2626 participants were enrolled from the Henan Rural Cohort Study. Plasma herbicides were measured with gas chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry. Generalized linear regression analysis was employed to assess the associations of a single herbicide with T2DM, prediabetes, as well as indicators of glucose metabolism. In addition, the quantile g-computation and environmental risk score (ERS) structured by adaptive elastic net (AENET), and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) were used to estimate the effects of herbicides mixtures on T2DM and prediabetes.

RESULTS

After adjusting for covariates, positive associations of atrazine, ametryn, and oxadiazon with the increased odds of T2DM were obtained. As for prediabetes, each 1-fold increase in ln-transformed oxadiazon was related to 8.4% (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.033, 1.138) higher odds of prediabetes. In addition, several herbicides were significantly related to fasting plasma glucose, fasting insulin, and HOMA2-IR (false discovery rates adjusted P value < 0.05). Furthermore, the quantile g-computation analysis showed that one quartile increase in multiple herbicides was associated with T2DM (OR (odds ratio): 1.099, 95%CI: 1.043, 1.158), and oxadiazon was assigned the largest positive weight, followed by atrazine. In addition, the ERS calculated by the selected herbicides from AENET were found to be associated with T2DM and prediabetes, and the corresponding ORs and 95%CIs were 1.133 (1.108, 1.159) and 1.065 (1.016, 1.116), respectively. The BKMR analysis indicated a positive association between mixtures of herbicides exposure and the risk of T2DM.

CONCLUSIONS

Exposure to mixtures of herbicides was associated with an increased risk of T2DM among Chinese rural population, indicating that the impact of herbicides exposure on diabetes should be paid attention to and measures should be taken to avoid herbicides mixtures exposure.

Lycopene Ameliorate Atrazine-Induced Oxidative Damage in the B Cell Zone via Targeting the miR-27a-3p/Foxo1 Axis

Lycopene, a natural bioactive component, has potential to reduce the risk of environmental factors inducing chronic diseases. It is important to explore lycopene's health benefits and its mechanism. The uncontrolled use of atrazine in agriculture causes critical environmental pollution issues worldwide. Exposure to atrazine through water and food chains is a risk to humans. In this study, mice were orally treated with lycopene and/or different concentrations of atrazine for 21 days to explore the influence of atrazine on the spleen and the role of lycopene's protection in atrazine exposure. The work found that atrazine exerted its toxic role in the B cell zone of the spleen by inducing Foxo1 deficiency. Atrazine caused ROS generation and Pink1/Parkin dysfunction via inducing Foxo1 deficiency, which led to apoptosis in the B cell zone. Additionally, the work revealed that lycopene ameliorates atrazine-induced apoptosis in the B cell zone of the spleen via regulating the miR-27a-3p/Foxo1 pathway. The finding also underscored a novel target of lycopene in maintaining homeostasis during B cell maturation.

Non-target toxic effects of avermectin on carp spleen involve oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis

Avermectin is one of the most widely used pesticides, but its toxicity to non-target organisms, especially aquatic organisms, has been ignored. Therefore, an acute spleen injury model of avermectin in carp was established to assess the non-target toxicity of avermectin to carp. In this study, 3.005 μg/L and 12.02 μg/L were set as the low and high dose groups of avermectin, respectively, and a four days acute exposure experiment was conducted. Pathological structure observation showed that avermectin damaged spleen tissue structure and produced inflammatory cell infiltration. Biochemical analysis showed that avermectin significantly reduced the activities of antioxidant enzymes CAT, SOD, and GSH-px, but increased the content of MDA, a marker of oxidative damage. Avermectin exposure also significantly increased the transcription levels of inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and INOS, and also significantly enhanced the activity of the inflammatory mediator iNOS, but suppressed the transcription levels of anti-inflammatory factors TGF-β1 and IL-10. In addition, TUNEL detected that the apoptosis rate increased significantly with the increase of avermectin dosage, and the transcription levels of apoptosis-related genes BAX, P53, and Caspase 3/9 also increased in a dose-dependent manner. This study is preliminary evidence that avermectin induces spleen injury in carp through oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis, which has important implications for subsequent studies on the effects of avermectin on non-target organisms.

Potential Mechanisms Involved in Chronic Kidney Disease of Unclear Etiology

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

The etiology of chronic kidney disease of unclear etiology, also known as Mesoamerican nephropathy, remains unclear. We investigated potential etiologies for Mesoamerican nephropathy in an immigrant dialysis population.

DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS

Migrants with Mesoamerican nephropathy kidney failure (n=52) were identified by exclusion of known causes of kidney disease and compared using a cross-sectional survey with demographically similar patients with kidney failure from other causes (n=63) and age/sex/place of origin-matched healthy participants (n=16). Survey results were extended to the bench; C57BL/6 mice (n=73) received 10-15 weekly intraperitoneal injections of paraquat (a reactive oxygen species-generating herbicide) or vehicle. Kidney function, histology, and expression of organic cation transporter-2 (proximal tubule entry for paraquat) and multidrug and toxin extrusion 1 (extrusion pathway) were examined. Kidney biopsies from Nicaraguan patients with acute Mesoamerican nephropathy were stained for the above transporters and compared with patients with tubulointerstitial nephritis and without Mesoamerican nephropathy.

RESULTS

Patients with Mesoamerican nephropathy and kidney failure were young agricultural workers, almost exclusively men; the majority were from Mexico and El Salvador; and they had prior exposures to agrochemicals, including paraquat (27%). After adjustment for age/sex, exposure to any agrochemical or paraquat was associated with Mesoamerican nephropathy kidney failure (odds ratio, 4.86; 95% confidence interval, 1.82 to 12.96; P=0.002 and odds ratio, 12.25; 95% confidence interval, 1.51 to 99.36; P=0.02, respectively). Adjusted for age/sex and other covariates, 1 year of agrochemical exposure was associated with Mesoamerican nephropathy kidney failure (odds ratio, 1.23; 95% confidence interval, 1.04 to 1.44; P=0.02). Compared with 16 matched healthy controls, Mesoamerican nephropathy kidney failure was significantly associated with exposure to paraquat and agrochemicals. Paraquat-treated male mice developed kidney failure and tubulointerstitial nephritis consistent with Mesoamerican nephropathy. Organic cation transporter-2 expression was higher in male kidneys versus female kidneys. Paraquat treatment increased organic cation transporter-2 expression and decreased multidrug and toxin extrusion 1 expression in male kidneys; similar results were observed in the kidneys of Nicaraguan patients with Mesoamerican nephropathy.

CONCLUSIONS

Exposure to agrochemicals is associated with Mesoamerican nephropathy, and chronic exposure of mice to paraquat, a prototypical oxidant, induced kidney failure similar to Mesoamerican nephropathy.

Toxic Exposure to Endocrine Disruptors Worsens Parkinson's Disease Progression through NRF2/HO-1 Alteration

Human exposure to endocrine disruptors (EDs) has attracted considerable attention in recent years. Different studies showed that ED exposure may exacerbate the deterioration of the nervous system's dopaminergic capacity and cerebral inflammation, suggesting a promotion of neurodegeneration. In that regard, the aim of this research was to investigate the impact of ED exposure on the neuroinflammation and oxidative stress in an experimental model of Parkinson's disease (PD). PD was induced by intraperitoneally injections of MPTP for a total dose of 80 mg/kg for each mouse. Mice were orally exposed to EDs, starting 24 h after the first MPTP administration and continuing through seven additional days. Our results showed that ED exposure raised the loss of TH and DAT induced by the administration of MPTP, as well as increased aggregation of α-synuclein, a key marker of PD. Additionally, oral exposure to EDs induced astrocytes and microglia activation that, in turn, exacerbates oxidative stress, perturbs the Nrf2 signaling pathway and activates the cascade of MAPKs. Finally, we performed behavioral tests to demonstrate that the alterations in the dopaminergic system also reflected behavioral and cognitive alterations. Importantly, these changes are more significant after exposure to atrazine compared to other EDs. The results from our study provide evidence that exposure to EDs may play a role in the development of PD; therefore, exposure to EDs should be limited.

Histopathological, Immunohistochemical, And Molecular Alterations In Brain Tissue And Submandibular Salivary Gland Of Atrazine-Induced Toxicity In Male Rats

Atrazine (ATZ) is herbicide that has been widely used for different crops. This extensive use has resulted in severe deleterious effects in different species. In this work, we investigated the potentially harmful effect of atrazine herbicide on the brain and submandibular salivary gland. Our investigation was carried out on 20 adult male albino rats that were equally divided into two groups. The first group received distilled water as control, while the second group received ATZ at 200 mg/kg body weight/ day via stomach gavage for 30 successive days of the experiment; the oral LD50 for ATZ is 3090 mg/kg. Our findings revealed the ability of ATZ to cause damage to the cerebrum, hippocampus, and submandibular salivary gland. This damage resulted from the induced oxidative stress, which was indicated by a significant elevation in malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration, DNA fragmentation, tumor necrotic factor-alpha (TNF-α) expression, with a significant decrease in reduced glutathione (GSH) level and reduction of B cell lymphoma 2 (BCL2), dopamine receptor D1 (Drd1), cAMP-responsive element-binding protein 1 (Creb1) genes expression after ATZ exposure. Moreover, degeneration of cells, cytoplasmic vacuolation, congestion of blood vessels, a strong immune reaction to caspase 3, and negligible immune expression of a glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) were also noticed in the ATZ-treated group. We concluded that ATZ induces oxidative stress and has a toxic and apoptotic effects on the cerebrum, hippocampus, and salivary gland of adult male albino rats.

Lycopene ameliorates atrazine-induced pyroptosis in spleen by suppressing the Ox-mtDNA/Nlrp3 inflammasome pathway

Nlrp3 is a vital integration point of diverse extracellular stimuli and cellular stress. However, the inappropriate activation of Nlrp3 results in the progression of autoinflammatory and metabolic disorders. Atrazine, which is used widely in the agricultural sector, is toxic to humans. Herein, this study found that atrazine could induce oxidative stress and the expression of Nfkb and IRF1 in spleen, promoting the ox-mtDNA formation. Also, production and release of ox-mtDNA stimulated the Nlrp3 inflammasome. Lastly, atrazine induced pyroptosis in spleen, mediating the activation of Nlrp3 inflammasome. In addition, lycopene, a kind of carotenoid, is natural bioactive component in fruits and vegetables, which is applied toward reducing oxidative stress. It was found that lycopene could ameliorate the pyroptosis induced by atrazine via the inhibition of ox-mtDNA production. The results also provided evidence that lycopene had a potential role in the prevention of Nlrp3 inflammasome activation by depleting the ox-mtDNA.

A Common Feature of Pesticides: Oxidative Stress-The Role of Oxidative Stress in Pesticide-Induced Toxicity

Pesticides are important chemicals or biological agents that deter or kill pests. The use of pesticides has continued to increase as it is still considered the most effective method to reduce pests and increase crop growth. However, pesticides have other consequences, including potential toxicity to humans and wildlife. Pesticides have been associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and birth defects. Labels on pesticides also suggest limiting exposure to these hazardous chemicals. Based on experimental evidence, various types of pesticides all seem to have a common effect, the induction of oxidative stress in different cell types and animal models. Pesticide-induced oxidative stress is caused by both reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS), which are associated with several diseases including cancer, inflammation, and cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. ROS and RNS can activate at least five independent signaling pathways including mitochondrial-induced apoptosis. Limited in vitro studies also suggest that exogenous antioxidants can reduce or prevent the deleterious effects of pesticides.

Atrazine Inhalation Causes Neuroinflammation, Apoptosis and Accelerating Brain Aging

BACKGROUND

exposure to environmental contaminants has been linked to an increased risk of neurological diseases and poor outcomes. Chemical name of Atrazine (ATR) is 6-chloro-N-ethyl-N'-(1-methylethyl)-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine, and it is the most commonly used broad-spectrum herbicide in agricultural crops. Several studies have demonstrated that ATR has the potential to be harmful to the brain's neuronal circuits. Until today nobody has explored the effect of ATR inhalation on young and aged mice.

METHODS

young and aged mice were subject to 25 mg of ATR in a vehicle made with saline and 10% of Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) every day for 28 days. At the end of experiment different behavioral test were made and brain was collected.

RESULTS

exposure to ATR induced the same response in terms of behavioral alterations and motor and memory impairment in mice but in aged group was more marked. Additionally, in both young and aged mice ATR inhalations induced oxidative stress with impairment in physiological antioxidant response, lipid peroxidation, nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (nf-κb) pathways activation with consequences of pro-inflammatory cytokines release and apoptosis. However, the older group was shown to be more sensitive to ATR inhalation.

CONCLUSIONS

our results showed that aged mice were more susceptible compared to young mice to air pollutants exposure, put in place a minor physiologically response was seen when exposed to it.

NF-κB-An Important Player in Xenoestrogen Signaling in Immune Cells

The proper functioning of the immune system is critical for an effective defense against pathogenic factors such as bacteria and viruses. All the cellular processes taking place in an organism are strictly regulated by an intracellular network of signaling pathways. In the case of immune cells, the NF-κB pathway is considered the key signaling pathway as it regulates the expression of more than 200 genes. The transcription factor NF-κB is sensitive to exogenous factors, such as xenoestrogens (XEs), which are compounds mimicking the action of endogenous estrogens and are widely distributed in the environment. Moreover, XE-induced modulation of signaling pathways may be crucial for the proper development of the immune system. In this review, we summarize the effects of XEs on the NF-κB signaling pathway. Based on our analysis, we constructed a model of XE-induced signaling in immune cells and found that in most cases XEs activate NF-κB. Our analysis indicated that the indirect impact of XEs on NF-κB in immune cells is related to the modulation of estrogen signaling and other pathways such as MAPK and JAK/STAT. We also summarize the role of these aspects of signaling in the development and further functioning of the immune system in this paper.

Toxic effects of atrazine on immune function in BALB/c mice

This study was aimed to evaluate the toxic effects of different concentrations (23, 90, 360 mg/kg BW) of atrazine (ATZ) on immune function in BALB/c mice. Some parameters of general immunotoxicity, humoral immunity, cellular immunity, and non-specific immunity were tested. The studies showed that the high-dose ATZ induced a significant reduction in the final body weight of mice, the absolute and relative weights of spleen, the counts of white blood cell (WBC), lymphocyte (LYM), monocyte (MON), and the number of splenocyte. An increase in the level of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and cholesterol (CHO) in the high-dose ATZ group was observed. Pathological examination showed that the medium- and high-doses of ATZ caused atrophy and destruction of thymus, spleen, and hepatorenal toxicity. The serum interleukin-5(IL-5) level of mice and the number of plaque-forming cell (PFC) in spleen cells in the high-dose ATZ group decreased significantly while there was a significant increase of the serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) in the high-dose ATZ group when compared to the negative control group. In the high-dose ATZ group, the proliferation ability of T and B lymphocytes as well as the delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) response were significantly decreased. The low-dose ATZ (23 mg/kg BW) caused a significant decrease in the number of WBC and neutrophil (NEUT), as well as the proportion of polychromatic and normoblast. In summary, we thought the low-dose ATZ has a slight effect on the immune system; it can be preliminarily concluded that the lowest observed adverse effect level (LOAEL) of atrazine is 23 mg/kg BW in mice. Atrazine can cause immunotoxicity mainly through cellular and humoral immunity pathways.

Atrazine-induced cell-mediated immunotoxicity in rabbits and the ameliorating role of glycyrrhizic acid

The present study aimed to explain the mechanisms involved in cell-mediated immunotoxicity of atrazine (ATR) in rabbits and to evaluate the ameliorative role of glycyrrhizic acid (GA) against such toxic effects. Forty rabbits were assigned into 4 equal groups: control, ATR, GA, and ATR + GA groups. ATR (2475 ppm) and GA (60 μg of GA/ml of water) were administrated via food and drinking water, respectively, for 60 consecutive days. The cell-mediated immunotoxicity of ATR was clarified by the induced thymus immunotoxicity through downregulation of interleukin (IL)-9 gene and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) gene expression, upregulation in caspase-3, and significant decrease in the total leukocytic and lymphocyte counts. Histopathological investigations demonstrated severe depletion of lymphoid follicles in the medulla of the thymus gland. On the other hand, co-administration of GA for group 4 improved most of the undesirable impacts of ATR. In conclusion, the alteration in IL-9/IFN-γ expression may involve ATR-induced thymocyte apoptosis which may explain the mechanisms of ATR-induced cell-mediated immunotoxicity with a possible amelioration influence of GA administration.

Atrazine impairs testicular function in BalB/c mice by affecting Leydig cells

Several studies have reported the effects of atrazine on the gonads of many experimental models. However, the short-term effects of in vivo exposure to atrazine on the testes of mice are not well clarified. Here we reported that adult BalB/c mice exposed to atrazine (50 mg kg^-1 body weight) by gavage for three consecutive days have reduced numbers of 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase positive Leydig cells (LCs), associated with increased in situ cell death fluorescence and caspase-3 immuno-expression in the testes. Consequently, immunostaining for cell cycle gene regulators showed increased expressions of p45, accompanied with increased expressions of cyclin D2 and E2. Histological observations of the gonads showed reduced number of germ cells in particular areas, sloughed seminiferous epithelium, presence of giant apoptotic cells close to the seminiferous tubule lumen and in the epididymal lumen along with low numbers of Leydig cells in the testicular interstitial areas. Similarly, LCs isolated from the testes of BalB/c mice that were exposed to atrazine (0.5, 25, 50 mg kg^-1 body weight) in the same manner as in the first experiment presented dose-dependent increased caspase-3 activity, decreased cell viability, intratesticular and serum testosterone concentrations and LCs testosterone secretion. In summary, atrazine appears to directly decrease the number of testosterone secreting LCs in mice through apoptosis.

Immune and Nervous Systems Interaction in Endocrine Disruptors Toxicity: The Case of Atrazine

Endocrine disruptors (ED) are natural and anthropogenic chemicals that can interfere with hormonal systems at different levels. As such, ED-induced alterations in hormone functions have been implicated in many diseases and pathological conditions, including adverse developmental, reproductive, neurological, cardiovascular, and immunological effects in mammals. The fact that ED may compete with several endogenous hormones for multiple receptors and pathways is not always fully considered. This results in a complex response that depends on the cellular context in terms of receptors and interacting proteins and, thus, may differ between tissues and circumstances. Microglia, neurons, and other immune cells are potential targets and still underappreciated actors in endocrine disruption. Due to the large scale of this topic, this review is not intended to provide a comprehensive review nor a systematic review of chemicals identified as endocrine disruptors. It focuses on the immune-neuro-endocrine network in ED toxicity and research gaps, using atrazine as an example to highlight this complexity and the interrelationship between the immune, endocrine, and nervous systems, and ED.

Downregulation of miR-200a Protects Mouse Leydig Cells Against Triptolide by Triggering Autophagy

Background

MicroRNAs play important roles in testicular development and spermatogenesis. Previous research has indicated that the level of miR-200a was significantly upregulated in patients with different spermatogenic impairments. However, the mechanism by which miR-200a regulated spermatogenic impairments remains unclear.

Methods

Leydig cells were treated with triptolide (TP) to mimic spermatogenic impairments. CCK-8 and flow cytometry were used to detect the proliferation and apoptosis in Leydig cells, respectively. In addition, Western blot assay was used to examine ATG7, ATG5, p62 protein levels in MLTC-1 cells.

Results

TP dose-dependently upregulated the expression of miR-200a in MLTC-1 cells. In addition, TP inhibited the proliferation of MLTC-1 cells via inducing apoptosis and oxidative stress; however, these phenomena were notably reversed by miR-200a antagomir. Furthermore, luciferase reporter assay identified that ATG7 was the direct binding target of miR-200a. TP treatment markedly inhibited the activation of autophagy in MLTC-1 cells via inhibition of ATG7. Conversely, downregulation of miR-200a significantly induced autophagy in TP-treated MLTC-1 cells by activation of ATG7. Meanwhile, the cell protective effects of miR-200a against TP were reversed by autophagy inhibitor 3MA, indicating that autophagy plays an important role.

Conclusion

These results indicated that downregulation of miR-200a could protect MLTC-1 cells against TP by inducing autophagy. Therefore, miR-200a might serve as a new therapeutic target for the treatment of male hypogonadism.

The regulation of autophagy in the pesticide-induced toxicity: Angel or demon?

Pesticides have become an essential tool for pest kill, weed control and microbiome inhibition for both agricultural and domestic use. However, with the massive use, pesticides can exist in soil, air and water, and sometimes even accumulate in the human or other mammals through food chains. Lots of researches have proven that pesticides possess toxicity to mammals on endocrine, neural and immune systems. Autophagy, as a conservative intracellular process, which is activated by stress-related signals, plays a pivotal role, either "angle" or "demon", in regulation of cell fate and function. Recent evidences in researches elucidated a strong link between the autophagy and the toxicity of pesticides. In this review, we summarized the previous researches which focus on the autophagy regulation in the pesticides-induced toxicity, and hope that this work can help us to discover a potential strategy for the treatment of the disease caused by pesticides.

Glycyrrhizic acid modulates the atrazine-induced apoptosis in rabbit spleen

Atrazine (ATR) is a common herbicide used worldwide. It is a potent endocrine disruptor that causes hormonal imbalance. We investigated the modulatory role predisposed by glycyrrhizic acid (GA) against the hazardous effects caused by the ATR in the rabbit spleen. Sixty rabbits were assigned into 4 groups. The first group is the negative control; the ATR group received 1/10 of the oral LD ₅₀ ATR; the GA group received 50 mg/kg body weight daily intraproteinally; and group 4 received both ATR and GA concurrently. ATR and GA administrations were done for 60 days. ATR-induced humoral immunotoxicity was illustrated by decreased serum total protein, albumin, and globulin levels and rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus antibody titer, 4 weeks after vaccination. Moreover, upregulation of spleen Fas and caspase-III genes was recorded in ATR-exposed rabbits. Clear splenocyte apoptosis was observed in the immunohistochemical examination by the caspase-III technique. GA diminished the ATR-induced splenocyte apoptosis through downregulation of Fas and caspase-III expressions. In conclusion, our findings bounced a new perspective into the mechanism by which ATR induces immunotoxicity and assumed the potential modulatory role of GA.

Lycopene Triggers Nrf2-AMPK Cross Talk to Alleviate Atrazine-Induced Nephrotoxicity in Mice

Atrazine (ATR), an environmental persistent and bioaccumulative herbicide, has been associated with environmental nephrosis. Lycopene (LYC) exhibits important properties of nephroprotection, but there are limited data on the specific underlying mechanism. The primary objective of this study was to explore the therapeutic effect of LYC on ATR-induced nephrotoxicity in mice. The mice were divided randomly into 6 groups and treated as follows: control group (C), 5 mg/kg LYC group (L), 50 mg/kg ATR group (A1), 200 mg/kg ATR group (A2), 50 mg/kg ATR plus 5 mg/kg LYC group (A1+L), and 200 mg/kg ATR plus 5 mg/kg LYC group (A2+L) by oral gavage administration for 21 days. We found that pretreatment with LYC significantly suppressed the ATR-induced renal tubular epithelial cell swelling. Furthermore, LYC mitigated ATR-induced dysregulation of oxidative stress markers by reducing MDA, H₂O₂ levels, and increasing SOD, GPx, CAT concentration, and Nrf2 activation. Moreover, LYC activated the autophagic flux by a detectable change in autophagy-related genes (Beclin-1 and ATGs) and proteins (p62/SQSTM) and by the formation of autophagic vacuole (AV) and LC3 aggregation, in parallel with AMPK activation (pAMPK/AMPK). Herein, ATR-up-regulated nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) expression and Nrf2-regulated redox genes, including quinoneoxidoreductase-1 (NQO1) and heme oxidase-1 (HO1), whereas LYC down-regulated those of the above genes. In addition, LYC suppressed ATR-induced activation of autophagy (increased LC3II/LC3I, ATGs, Beclin1, and p62, in parallel with increased AMPK activation). Collectively, our findings identified a cross talk between AMPK-activated autophagy and the Nrf2 signaling pathway in LYC-mediated nephroprotection against ATR-induced toxicity in mice kidney.

Oxidative stress in triazine pesticide toxicity: a review of the main biomarker findings

This review article provides a summary of the studies relying on oxidative stress biomarkers (lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzymes in particular) to investigate the effects of atrazine and terbuthylazine exposure in experimental animals and humans published since 2010. In general, experimental animals showed that atrazine and terbuthylazine exposure mostly affected their antioxidant defences and, to a lesser extent, lipid peroxidation, but the effects varied by the species, sex, age, herbicide concentration, and duration of exposure. Most of the studies involved aquatic organisms as useful and sensitive bio-indicators of environmental pollution and important part of the food chain. In laboratory mice and rats changes in oxidative stress markers were visible only with exposure to high doses of atrazine. Recently, our group reported that low-dose terbuthylazine could also induce oxidative stress in Wistar rats. It is evident that any experimental assessment of pesticide toxic effects should take into account a combination of several oxidative stress and antioxidant defence biomarkers in various tissues and cell compartments. The identified effects in experimental models should then be complemented and validated by epidemiological studies. This is important if we wish to understand the impact of pesticides on human health and to establish safe limits.