title: Effects of Zn deficiency, antioxidants, and low-dose radiation on diabetic oxidative damage and cell death in the testis.
abstract: Infertility is one of the common complications in diabetic men and mainly due to the loss of germ cells by apoptotic cell death. Although several mechanisms have been proposed to explain the induction of testicular cell death by diabetes, diabetic induction of testicular oxidative stress and damage may be the predominant mechanism responsible for the testicular cell death in diabetes. To explore whether factors that either increase or decrease the testicular oxidative stress and damage will enhance or prevent diabetes-induced testicular cell death, the effect of zinc (Zn) deficiency on diabetes-induced cell death has been examined since Zn was found to play an important role in the protection of testis from oxidative stress and damage. Zn deficiency, induced by its chelator N,N,N,N-Tetrakis(2-pyridylmethyl)-1,2-ethylenediamine, was found to exacerbate diabetes-induced testicular oxidative damage and cell death. In contrast, treatment of diabetic rats with antioxidant N-acetylcysteine or low-dose radiation that can up-regulate endogenous antioxidants significantly attenuated diabetes-induced testicular cell death. These results suggest that diabetes-induced testicular cell death that may eventually cause men's infertility is predominantly mediated by the oxidative stress and damage. To prevent or delay diabetes-caused infertility, diabetic patients should avoid Zn deficiency, and might consider antioxidant supplementation.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Center at the First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China.
authors.forename: Yuguang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Hongguang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Xujie
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhai
authors.forename: Junying
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Guanjun
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cai
mesh_terms: D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D002614:Chelating Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D003677:Deficiency Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D005029:Ethylenediamines / Q000494:pharmacology; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D051381:Rats; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects; D014964:X-Ray Therapy; D015032:Zinc / Q000172:deficiency*
chemical_list: D002614:Chelating Agents; D005029:Ethylenediamines; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D015032:Zinc; C044387:N,N,N',N'-tetrakis(2-pyridylmethyl)ethylenediamine; D000111:Acetylcysteine