Effect of Nrf2 on rat ovarian tissues against atrazine-induced anti-oxidative response

The environmental persistence and bioaccumulation of herbicide atrazine may pose a significant threat to human health. In this experiment, Wistar rats were treated by 5, 25 and 125 mg·kg(-1) atrazine respectively for 28 days, and the oxidative stress responses as well as the activations of Nrf2 signaling pathway in ovarian tissues induced by atrazine were observed. The results showed that after be treated by atrazine, the proportion of atretic follicles in the rat ovary were increased, the contents of NO and MDA in the tissue homogenates were increased, the over-expressed Nrf2 transferred into the nuclei and played an antioxidant role by up-regulated the expression of II phase detoxifying enzymes such as HO1 and NQO1 and the expression of antioxidant enzymes such as CAT, SOD and GSH-PX.