title: Capsaicin attenuates spermatogenic cell death induced by scrotal hyperthermia through its antioxidative and anti-apoptotic activities.
abstract: This study was performed to examine whether capsaicin, the main pungent ingredient of red peppers, exerts protective effects against testicular injuries induced by transient scrotal hyperthermia. Capsaicin (0.33 mg kg-1) was administered subcutaneously to mice one hour before heat stress (HS) in a 43°C water bath for 20 min. After 7 days, mice exposed to HS showed low testicular weight, severe vacuolisation of seminiferous tubules followed by loss of spermatogenic cells, and appearance of multinucleated giant cells and remarkable TUNEL-positive apoptotic cells, as well as weak immunoreactivity of phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase (PHGPx) in spermatogenic cells. Levels of lipid peroxidation and heat shock 70-kDa protein 1 (Hsp72) and BCL2-associated X protein (Bax) mRNA were greatly increased, but PHGPx, manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), and B-cell lymphoma-extra large (Bcl-xL) mRNAs were significantly diminished in the testes by HS. However, capsaicin pre-treatment significantly suppressed the spermatogenic cell death, oxidative stress (levels of MDA, PHGPx immunoreactivity, and Hsp72, PHGPx, and MnSOD mRNA) and apoptosis (levels of TUNEL-positive cells, and Bcl-xL and Bax mRNA) in testes by HS. These suggest that capsaicin has a protective effect against spermatogenic cell death induced by scrotal hyperthermia through its antioxidative and anti-apoptotic activities.
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine and Research Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Korea.
authors.forename: S G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine and Research Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Korea.
authors.forename: J-M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Yon
authors.affiliation: College of Chinese Medicinal Materials, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, Jilin, China.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine and Research Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Korea.
authors.forename: L W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Gwon
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine and Research Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Korea.
authors.forename: J-G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Asan Institute for Life Sciences, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: I-J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Baek
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine and Research Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Korea.
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine and Research Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Korea.
authors.forename: Y W
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Yun
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine and Research Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Korea.
authors.forename: S-Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Nam
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D002211:Capsaicin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D050884:HSP72 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D006358:Hot Temperature; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D000080662:Phospholipid Hydroperoxide Glutathione Peroxidase; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D012611:Scrotum / Q000502:physiology*; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology / Q000502:physiology; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000235:genetics; D013737:Testis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D050884:HSP72 Heat-Shock Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D000080662:Phospholipid Hydroperoxide Glutathione Peroxidase; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D002211:Capsaicin
keywords: anti-apoptosis; antioxidant; capsaicin; scrotal hyperthermia; testes