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Updated: Aug 12, 2025

Evaluation of Intracellular Location of Reactive Oxygen Species in Solea Senegalensis Spermatozoa
Published on: March 11, 2018
Zearalenone induces oxidative stress and autophagy in goat Sertoli cells
Xinyu Liu1, Huaming Xi2, Shuaiqi Han1
1Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, People's Republic of China.
Abstract:
Zearalenone (ZEA), one of the non-steroidal estrogen mycotoxin, can cause male reproductive damage and genotoxicity in mammals. Testicular oxidative injury is an important factor causing male sterility. Testicular Sertoli cells are essential for spermatogenesis and male fertility. At present, the mechanism of oxidative injury in dairy goat Sertoli cells after exposure to ZEA remains unclear. This study explored the effects of ZEA on oxidative stress and autophagy in dairy goat Sertoli cells. It was found that treatment of primary Sertoli cells with 25, 50 and 100 μmol/L ZEA for 24 h can promote ROS production, decrease cell viability, antioxidant enzyme activity and mitochondrial membrane potential, induce caspase-dependent cell apoptosis and autophagy activity. ZEA-induced autophagy was confirmed by LC3-I/LC3-II transformation. More importantly, N-acetylcysteine (NAC) pretreatment can remarkably inhibit ZEA-induced oxidative stress, apoptosis and autophagy in Sertoli cells by eliminating ROS. In conclusion, this study indicates that ZEA induces oxidative stress and autophagy in dairy goat Sertoli cells by promoting ROS production.

