title: Bisphenol a induces autophagy and apoptosis concurrently involving the Akt/mTOR pathway in testes of pubertal SD rats.
abstract: Bisphenol A (BPA), a typical endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC), has been proven to cause male reproductive toxicity. However, the precise mechanisms of this effect are still unclear. Puberty is a crucial period of reproductive development, and adolescents are more susceptible to xenobiotics. This research was designed to explore the mechanism of BPA toxicity on pubertal male reproduction. Rats were exposed to 0, 2, 10, 50 mg kg-1bw BPA, then the levels of sex hormones, oxidative stress, and semen quality were detected. HE staining, TUNEL assay and transmission electron microscopy were used to investigate the morphological changes, apoptosis, and autophagy in testes, respectively. Expressions of relevant genes and proteins were measured by RT-PCR, western blotting, and immunohistochemical staining. The results indicated that BPA exposure led to oxidative stress and endocrine disorders in pubertal male SD rats, caused apoptosis and autophagy in testes, and then damaged spermatogenesis ultimately. The Akt pathway was activated and the mTOR pathway was inhibited in the process. Taken together, BPA induced apoptosis and autophagy concurrently in pubertal testes, and this added a new layer to our understanding on male reproductive toxicity of BPA. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 32: 1977-1989, 2017.
authors.affiliation: MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Tongji Medical College, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Quan
authors.affiliation: MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Tongji Medical College, Wuhan, Hubei, China.|Infectious Diseases Prevention and Treatment Department, Hanyang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Can
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Tongji Medical College, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Peng
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9269-5959
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.affiliation: MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Tongji Medical College, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Wenting
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Tongji Medical College, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Tongji Medical College, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Sha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Tongji Medical College, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Kedi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D001343:Autophagy / Q000187:drug effects*; D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds / Q000633:toxicity*; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors / Q000633:toxicity*; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D010636:Phenols / Q000633:toxicity*; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects; D055101:Semen Analysis; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000187:drug effects; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood; D000098826:Bisphenol A Compounds
chemical_list: D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D010636:Phenols; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases; D013739:Testosterone; C546845:mTOR protein, rat; C006780:bisphenol A; D000098826:Bisphenol A Compounds
keywords: apoptosis; autophagy; bisphenol A; spermatogenesis; testis