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Sun P, Liu M, Zhou S, Yang L, Xie S, Riaz H, Huo L, Liang A. Maternal exposure to DON during lactation induces testicular toxicity in pubertal and adult offspring mice. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2024; 279:116468. [PMID: 38776783 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.116468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Deoxynivalenol (DON), a type B trichothecene mycotoxin, commonly occurs in cereal grains, and poses significant health risks to humans and animals. Numerous studies reveal its obvious toxic effects on male reproductive performance as well as its ability to transfer from the lactating mother to the suckling offspring through colostrum and milk. The objective of this study was to evaluate the toxic effect of lactational DON exposure on testicular morphology, hormonal levels, inflammation, apoptosis and proliferation of germ cells, tight junction, and sperm quality in male offspring. Sixty-six male offspring mice from lactating dams exposed to DON were euthanized at PND 21 and PND 70 to investigate the reproductive toxicity. Our results indicated that maternal DON exposure had a significant impact on the weight and volume of the testes, caused testicular histopathology, and reduced testosterone levels by downregulating expressions of StAR, CYP11A1, and CYP17A1 in male offspring. We also found that maternal DON exposure led to testicular inflammation in male offspring, which was attributed to increased levels of inflammatory markers, including IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and IFN-γ. Maternal DON exposure resulted in impaired tight junctions of Sertoli cells in male offspring, as evidenced by decreased expressions of ZO-1, Occludin, and Claudin-3. In addition, maternal DON exposure caused a reduction in the number of Sertoli cells and germ cells, ultimately leading to decreased sperm count and quality in adult male offspring. Collectively, these findings provide compelling evidence that maternal exposure to DON during lactation causes testicular toxicity in both pubertal and adult male offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peihao Sun
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Mingxiao Liu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Shuo Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Liguo Yang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; Frontiers Science Center for Animal Breeding and Sustainable Production (Huazhong Agricultural University), Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Shiyong Xie
- Beijing General Station of Animal Husbandry, Beijing 100124, China
| | - Hasan Riaz
- Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Sahiwal Campus, Punjab 57000, Pakistan
| | - Lijun Huo
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; Frontiers Science Center for Animal Breeding and Sustainable Production (Huazhong Agricultural University), Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Aixin Liang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; Frontiers Science Center for Animal Breeding and Sustainable Production (Huazhong Agricultural University), Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430070, China.
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Grosiak M, Koteja P, Hambly C, Speakman JR, Sadowska ET. Limits to sustained energy intake. XXXIV. Can the heat dissipation limit (HDL) theory explain reproductive aging? J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb246592. [PMID: 38264846 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
According to the heat dissipation limit (HDL) theory, reproductive performance is limited by the capacity to dissipate excess heat. We tested the novel hypotheses that (1) the age-related decline in reproductive performance is due to an age-related decrease of heat dissipation capacity and (2) the limiting mechanism is more severe in animals with high metabolic rates. We used bank voles (Myodes glareolus) from lines selected for high swim-induced aerobic metabolic rate, which have also increased basal metabolic rate, and unselected control lines. Adult females from three age classes - young (4 months), middle-aged (9 months) and old (16 months) - were maintained at room temperature (20°C), and half of the lactating females were shaved to increase heat dissipation capacity. Old females from both selection lines had a decreased litter size, mass and growth rate. The peak-lactation average daily metabolic rate was higher in shaved than in unshaved mothers, and this difference was more profound among old than young and middle-aged voles (P=0.02). In females with large litters, milk production tended to be higher in shaved (least squares mean, LSM±s.e.: 73.0±4.74 kJ day-1) than in unshaved voles (61.8±4.78 kJ day-1; P=0.05), but there was no significan"t effect of fur removal on the growth rate [4.47±2.29 g (4 days-1); P=0.45]. The results provide mixed support of the HDL theory and no support for the hypotheses linking the differences in reproductive aging with either a deterioration in thermoregulatory capability or genetically based differences in metabolic rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Grosiak
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow 30-387, Poland
| | - Paweł Koteja
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow 30-387, Poland
| | - Catherine Hambly
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 2TZ, UK
| | - John R Speakman
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 2TZ, UK
- Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, People's Republic of China
| | - Edyta T Sadowska
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow 30-387, Poland
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Flewwelling LD, Wearing OH, Garrett EJ, Scott GR. Thermoregulatory trade-offs underlie the effects of warming summer temperatures on deer mice. J Exp Biol 2023; 226:287070. [PMID: 36808489 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.244852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023]
Abstract
Climate warming could challenge the ability of endotherms to thermoregulate and maintain normal body temperature (Tb), but the effects of warming summer temperatures on activity and thermoregulatory physiology in many small mammals remain poorly understood. We examined this issue in deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus), an active nocturnal species. Mice were exposed in the lab to simulated seasonal warming, in which an environmentally realistic diel cycle of ambient temperature (Ta) was gradually warmed from spring conditions to summer conditions (controls were maintained in spring conditions). Activity (voluntary wheel running) and Tb (implanted bio-loggers) were measured throughout, and indices of thermoregulatory physiology (thermoneutral zone, thermogenic capacity) were assessed after exposure. In control mice, activity was almost entirely restricted to the night-time, and Tb fluctuated ∼1.7°C between daytime lows and night-time highs. Activity, body mass and food consumption were reduced and water consumption was increased in later stages of summer warming. This was accompanied by strong Tb dysregulation that culminated in a complete reversal of the diel pattern of Tb variation, with Tb reaching extreme highs (∼40°C) during daytime heat but extreme lows (∼34°C) at cooler night-time temperatures. Summer warming was also associated with reduced ability to generate body heat, as reflected by decreased thermogenic capacity and decreased mass and uncoupling protein (UCP1) content of brown adipose tissue. Our findings suggest that thermoregulatory trade-offs associated with daytime heat exposure can affect Tb and activity at cooler night-time temperatures, impacting the ability of nocturnal mammals to perform behaviours important for fitness in the wild.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke D Flewwelling
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, Canada, L8S 4K1
| | - Oliver H Wearing
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, Canada, L8S 4K1
| | - Emily J Garrett
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, Canada, L8S 4K1
| | - Graham R Scott
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, Canada, L8S 4K1
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Eizenga MR, Flewwelling LD, Warrier T, Scott GR. Thermal performance curve of endurance running at high temperatures in deer mice. J Exp Biol 2023; 226:286951. [PMID: 36752138 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.244847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
The impacts of warming temperatures associated with climate change on performance are poorly understood in most mammals. Thermal performance curves are a valuable means of examining the effects of temperature on performance traits, but they have rarely been used in endotherms. Here, we examined the thermal performance curve of endurance running capacity at high temperatures in the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus). Endurance capacity was measured using an incremental speed test on a treadmill, and subcutaneous temperature in the abdominal region was measured as a proxy for body temperature (Tb). Endurance time at 20°C was repeatable but varied appreciably across individuals, and was unaffected by sex or body mass. Endurance capacity was maintained across a broad range of ambient temperatures (Ta) but was reduced above 35°C. Tb during running varied with Ta, and reductions in endurance were associated with Tb greater than 40°C when Ta was above 35°C. At the high Ta that limited endurance running capacity (but not at lower Ta), Tb tended to rise throughout running trials with increases in running speed. Metabolic and thermoregulatory measurements at rest showed that Tb, evaporative water loss and breathing frequency increased at Ta of 36°C and above. Therefore, the upper threshold temperatures at which endurance capacity is impaired are similar to those inducing heat responses at rest in this species. These findings help discern the mechanisms by which deer mice are impacted by warming temperatures, and provide a general approach for examining thermal breadth of performance in small mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew R Eizenga
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, Canada, L8S 4K1
| | - Luke D Flewwelling
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, Canada, L8S 4K1
| | - Tanisha Warrier
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, Canada, L8S 4K1
| | - Graham R Scott
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, Canada, L8S 4K1
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Feng J, Jia T, Wang Z, Zhu W. Differences of energy adaptation strategies in Tupaia belangeri between Pianma and Tengchong region by metabolomics of liver: Role of warmer temperature. Front Physiol 2022; 13:1068636. [PMID: 36467696 PMCID: PMC9713704 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.1068636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 09/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Global warming is becoming the future climate trend and will have a significant impact on small mammals, and they will also adapt at the physiological levels in response to climate change, among which the adaptation of energetics is the key to their survival. In order to investigate the physiological adaptation strategies in Tupaia belangeri affected by the climate change and to predict their possible fate under future global warming, we designed a metabonomic study in T. belangeri between two different places, including Pianma (PM, annual average temperature 15.01°C) and Tengchong (TC, annual average temperature 20.32°C), to analyze the differences of liver metabolite. Moreover, the changes of resting metabolic rate, body temperature, uncoupling protein 1content (UCP1) and other energy indicators in T. belangeri between the two places were also measured. The results showed that T. belangeri in warm areas (TC) reduced the concentrations of energy metabolites in the liver, such as pyruvic acid, fructose 6-phosphate, citric acid, malic acid, fumaric acid etc., so their energy metabolism intensity was also reduced, indicating that important energy metabolism pathway of glycolysis and tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) pathway reduced in T. belangeri from warmer habitat. Furthermore, brown adipose tissue (BAT) mass, UCP1 content and RMR in TC also decreased significantly, but their body temperature increased. All of the results suggested that T. belangeri adapt to the impact of warm temperature by reducing energy expenditure and increasing body temperature. In conclusion, our research had broadened our understanding of the physiological adaptation strategies to cope with climate change, and also provided a preliminary insight into the fate of T. belangeri for the future global warming climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiahong Feng
- Key Laboratory of Ecological Adaptive Evolution and Conservation on Animals-Plants in Southwest Mountain Ecosystem of Yunnan Province Higher Institutes College, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming, China
| | - Ting Jia
- Yunnan College of Business Management, Kunming, China
| | - Zhengkun Wang
- Key Laboratory of Ecological Adaptive Evolution and Conservation on Animals-Plants in Southwest Mountain Ecosystem of Yunnan Province Higher Institutes College, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming, China
- Engineering Research Center of Sustainable Development and Utilization of Biomass Energy Ministry of Education, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming, China
- Key Laboratory of Yunnan Province for Biomass Energy and Environment Biotechnology, Kunming, China
| | - Wanlong Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Ecological Adaptive Evolution and Conservation on Animals-Plants in Southwest Mountain Ecosystem of Yunnan Province Higher Institutes College, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming, China
- Engineering Research Center of Sustainable Development and Utilization of Biomass Energy Ministry of Education, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming, China
- Key Laboratory of Yunnan Province for Biomass Energy and Environment Biotechnology, Kunming, China
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Zhao Z, Yang R, Li M, Bao M, Huo D, Cao J, Speakman JR. Effects of ambient temperatures between 5 and 35 oC on energy balance, body mass and body composition in mice. Mol Metab 2022; 64:101551. [PMID: 35870706 PMCID: PMC9382332 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2022.101551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Considerable attention is currently focused on the potential to switch on brown adipose tissue (BAT), or promote browning of white adipose tissue, to elevate energy expenditure and thereby reduce obesity levels. These processes are already known to be switched on by cold exposure. Yet humans living in colder regions do not show lower levels of obesity. This could be because humans shield themselves from external temperatures, or because the resultant changes in BAT and thermogenesis are offset by elevated food intake, or reductions in other components of expenditure. Scope of Review We exposed mice to 11 different ambient temperatures between 5 and 35 °C and characterized their energy balance and body weight/composition. As it got colder mice progressively increased their energy expenditure coincident with changes in thyroid hormone levels and increased BAT activity. Simultaneously, these increases in expenditure were matched by elevated food intake, and body mass remained stable. Nevertheless, within this envelope of unchanged body mass there were significant changes in body composition – with increases in the sizes of the liver and small intestine, presumably to support the greater food intake, and reductions in the level of stored fat – maximally providing about 10% of the total elevated energy demands. Major Conclusions Elevating activity of BAT may be a valid strategy to reduce fat storage even if overall body mass is unchanged but if it is mostly offset by elevated food intake, as found here, then the impacts may be small. Male and female mice were exposed to 11 different ambient temperatures between 5 and 35 °C. As it got colder mice increased both energy expenditure and food intake. Increased energy expenditure was coincident with increased THs and BAT activity. Stored fat was considerably reduced in colder conditions, providing about 10% of the elevated energy requirements. Elevating activity of BAT may be a valid strategy to reduce fat storage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhijun Zhao
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China.
| | - Rui Yang
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China
| | - Min Li
- Shenzhen key laboratory of metabolic health, Center for Energy Metabolism and Reproduction, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Menghuan Bao
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China
| | - Daliang Huo
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China
| | - Jing Cao
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China
| | - John R Speakman
- Shenzhen key laboratory of metabolic health, Center for Energy Metabolism and Reproduction, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China; Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK; State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100100, China.
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Deng GM, Yu JX, Xu JQ, Bao YF, Chen Q, Cao J, Zhao ZJ. Exposure to artificial wind increases energy intake and reproductive performance of female Swiss mice ( Mus musculus) in hot temperatures. J Exp Biol 2020; 223:jeb231415. [PMID: 32665446 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.231415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
High temperatures and heatwaves are rapidly emerging as an important threat to many aspects of physiology and behavior in females during lactation. The body's capacity to dissipate heat is reduced by high ambient temperatures, increasing the risk of hyperthermia. Exposure to wind, a pervasive environmental factor for most terrestrial animals, is known to increase heat loss, but its effects on the reproductive performance of small mammals remains unclear. In the present study, the effects of wind on the energy budgets, resting metabolic rate and milk energy output (MEO) were measured in lactating Swiss mice at 21 and 32.5°C. Females kept at 32.5°C had a significantly lower resting metabolic rate, food intake and MEO, and lighter offspring, than those kept at 21°C. However, exposure to wind increased the asymptotic food intake of females kept at 32.5°C by 22.5% (P<0.01), their MEO by 20.7% (P<0.05) and their litter mass by 17.6% (P<0.05). The body temperature of females kept at 32.5°C was significantly higher during lactation than that of females kept at 21°C, but this difference was reduced by exposure to wind. These findings suggest that exposure to wind considerably improves reproductive performance, increasing the fitness of small mammals while undergoing hot temperatures during heatwaves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guang-Min Deng
- Department of Biology, College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China
| | - Jing-Xin Yu
- Department of Biology, College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China
| | - Jia-Qi Xu
- Department of Biology, College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China
| | - Yu-Fan Bao
- Department of Biology, College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China
| | - Qian Chen
- Department of Biology, College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China
| | - Jing Cao
- Department of Biology, College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China
| | - Zhi-Jun Zhao
- Department of Biology, College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China
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