title: Heat-stress-induced metabolic changes and altered male reproductive function.
abstract: Heat stress can cause systemic physiological and biochemical alterations in living organisms. In reproductive systems, heat stress induces germ cell loss and poor quality semen. However, until now, little has been known about such a complex regulation process, particularly in the perspective of metabolism. In this study, serum, hypothalamus, and epididymis samples derived from male SD (Sprague-Dawley) rats being exposed to high environmental temperature (40 °C) 2 h per day for 7 consecutive days were analyzed using metabonomics strategies based on GC/TOFMS. Differentially expressed metabolites reveal that the energy metabolism, amino acid neurotransmitters, and monoamine neurotransmitters pathways are associated with heat stress, in accordance with changes of the three upstream neuroendocrine system pathways in the SNS (sympathetic adrenergic system), hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis (HPA), and hypothalamic pituitary testis axis (HPT) axis. Many of these metabolites, especially in the epididymis, were found to be up-regulated, presumably due to a self-preserving action to resist the environmental hot irritation to maintain normal functioning of the male reproductive system.
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agriculture University , Nanjing 210095, China.
authors.forename: Yuanlong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: Xiaoyan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zhihai
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.forename: Jihui
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ping
authors.forename: Jiajian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Zhiyu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Cuicui
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Mengmeng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiaoliang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Shaoqiu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yingfang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.forename: Yingdong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Su
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D018869:Heat-Shock Response; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012098:Reproduction
keywords: epididymis; gas chromatography/mass spectrometry; heat stress; hypothalamus; metabonomics; reproductive; serum