title: Copper-Induced Spermatozoa Head Malformation Is Related to Oxidative Damage to Testes in CD-1 Mice.
abstract: The molecular mechanism for copper toxicity on spermatozoa quality in mice is not well understood. In a 4-week experiment, we challenged 24, 6-week-old male CD-1 mice with twice-a-week intraperitoneal copper chloride injections and evaluated spermatozoa quality, copper levels in the testes, serum testosterone, the expression of key antioxidant glutathione peroxidase 5 (GPx5), and the regulated androgen receptor (AR) in the mice testes. We compared these outcomes for four groups of six mice given doses of 0, 1.25, 2.5, 5.0 mg/kg weight copper chloride twice a week for 4 weeks. The mice demonstrated a copper increase spermatozoa head malformation in a dose-response manner. However, we observed no changes in spermatozoa viability and acrosome integrity in the ratio of mouse body weight to testes weight or in the histomorphology of the testes as the average copper level increased. Results of our RT-PCR assays, immunohistochemical tests, ELISA, and histochemistry analyses indicated that testis GPx5 expression was increased, AR expression in the testes was decreased, serum testosterone was decreased, and the activity of 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase was decreased as the copper dose increased. In conclusion, these data show that sublethal exposure to copper induces spermatozoa head malformation and influences both mRNA and protein levels of GPx5 and AR which is related to copper resides in the testes.
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
authors.forename: Zhuo-Wei
authors.initials: ZW
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
authors.lastname: Zhi-GangTan
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
authors.forename: Na
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Qiao
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
authors.forename: Zhen-Long
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
authors.forename: Zhi-Ling
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
authors.forename: Lian-Mei
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
authors.forename: Zeng-Ming
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China. lying@scau.edu.cn.|Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control for Severe Clinical Animal Diseases, Guangzhou, 510642, China. lying@scau.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000177:Acrosome / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D003300:Copper / Q000633:toxicity*; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D011944:Receptors, Androgen / Q000096:biosynthesis; D013737:Testis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: C000607144:AR protein, mouse; D011944:Receptors, Androgen; D003300:Copper; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; C080439:selenium-independent glutathione peroxidase
keywords: AR; Copper; GPx5; Spermatozoa parameters; Testes