Microcystin-LR causes cytotoxicity effects in rat testicular Sertoli cells.
Microcystins (MCs) are produced by cyanobacteria. The most toxic and widely distributed MC is microcystin-LR (MC-LR). The aim of this study was to investigate whether exposure to MC-LR could induce oxidative stress, leading the further toxicity effects on Sertoli cells in vitro. Sertoli cells obtained from rats were cultured with a medium containing 0, 0.5, 5, 50 or 500 nM/l MC-LR. We examined the decrease of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), the increase of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, the increase of lipid peroxidation and decrease of superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in Sertoli cells after treatment with MC-LR in vitro, and higher expression of caspase-9 and caspase-3, the increase of apoptosis rate. Therefore, we deduced that direct exposure to microcystin-LR could induce oxidative stress generation in Sertoli cells, and subsequently depressed cellular viability and caused cells to undergo apoptosis, resulting in the reproductive toxicity in male rats.
Life Science School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210093, PR China. liyan.nju@163.com
Yan
Y
Li
Xiaodong
X
Han
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D053453:Caspase 9 / Q000378:metabolism; D048430:Cell Shape / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008387:Marine Toxins; D020782:Matrix Metalloproteinases / Q000378:metabolism; D053078:Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial / Q000187:drug effects; D052998:Microcystins / Q000633:toxicity*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D012708:Sertoli Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D013997:Time Factors
D008387:Marine Toxins; D052998:Microcystins; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; C505410:Casp3 protein, rat; C506435:Casp9 protein, rat; D053148:Caspase 3; D053453:Caspase 9; D020782:Matrix Metalloproteinases; C057862:cyanoginosin LR