title: Repetitive exposure to low-dose X-irradiation attenuates testicular apoptosis in type 2 diabetic rats, likely via Akt-mediated Nrf2 activation.
abstract: To determine whether repetitive exposure to low-dose radiation (LDR) attenuates type 2 diabetes (T2DM)-induced testicular apoptotic cell death in a T2DM rat model, we examined the effects of LDR exposure on diabetic and age-matched control rats. We found that testicular apoptosis and oxidative stress levels were significantly higher in T2DM rats than in control rats. In addition, glucose metabolism-related Akt and GSK-3β function was downregulated and Akt negative regulators PTP1B and TRB3 were upregulated in the T2DM group. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and catalase content were also found to be decreased in T2DM rats. These effects were partially prevented or reversed by repetitive LDR exposure. Nrf2 and its downstream genes NQO1, SOD, and catalase were significantly upregulated by repetitive exposure to LDR, suggesting that the reduction of T2DM-induced testicular apoptosis due to repetitive LDR exposure likely involves enhancement of testicular Akt-mediated glucose metabolism and anti-oxidative defense mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China. Electronic address: zhaohuan81@163.com.
authors.forename: Yuguang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: The Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130023, China.
authors.forename: Chuipeng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.affiliation: Cancer Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China.
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Spinal Surgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China.
authors.forename: Zhenyu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Cancer Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China.
authors.forename: Zhiqiang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.affiliation: Cancer Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.affiliation: Cancer Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China.
authors.forename: Qiuju
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China.
authors.forename: Yuehui
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Cancer Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Cancer Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China. Electronic address: cuijw@jlu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Jiuwei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: Cancer Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China. Electronic address: fujun_han@aliyun.com.
authors.forename: Fujun
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Cancer Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China; Departments of Pediatrics, Radiation Oncology, Pharmacology, and Toxicology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA. Electronic address: L0cai001@louisville.edu.
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000528:radiation effects; D002374:Catalase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000528:radiation effects; D008297:Male; D051267:NF-E2-Related Factor 2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000528:radiation effects; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000528:radiation effects; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D014916:Whole-Body Irradiation / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D051267:NF-E2-Related Factor 2; C495636:Nfe2l2 protein, mouse; D002374:Catalase; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
keywords: Apoptosis; Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2; Oxidative stress; Testis; Type 2 diabetes