Apigenin improves testosterone synthesis by regulating endoplasmic reticulum stress - 23/07/24
Abstract |
Obesity is a growing epidemic among reproductive-age men, which can cause and exacerbate male infertility by means of associated comorbidities, endocrine abnormalities, and direct effects on the fidelity and throughput of spermatogenesis. A prominent consequence of male obesity is a reduction in testosterone levels. Natural products have shown tremendous potential anti-obesity effects in metabolic diseases. This study aimed to investigate the potential of apigenin (AP) to alleviate testicular dysfunction induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) and to investigate the underlying mechanisms, focusing on endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) and testosterone synthesis. A murine model of obesity was established using HFD-fed mice. The effects of AP on obesity, lipid metabolism, testicular dysfunction, and ERS were assessed through various physiological, histological, and molecular techniques. Administration of AP (10 mg/kg) ameliorated HFD-induced obesity and testicular dysfunction in a mouse model, as evidenced by decreased body weight, improved lipid profiles and testicular pathology, and restored protein levels related to testosterone. Furthermore, in vitro studies demonstrated that AP relieved ERS and recovered testosterone synthesis in murine Leydig cells (TM3) treated with free fatty acids (FFAs). It was also observed that AP rescued testosterone synthesis enzymes in TM3 cells, similar to that observed with the inhibitor of the PERK pathway (GSK2606414). In addition, ChIP, qPCR, and gene silencing showed that the C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) bound directly to the promoter region of steroidogenic STAR and negatively modulated its expression. Collectively, AP has remarkable potential to alleviate HFD-induced obesity and testicular dysfunction. Its protective effects are attributable partly to mitigating ERS and restoring testosterone synthesis in Leydig cells.
Le texte complet de cet article est disponible en PDF.Graphical Abstract |
The schematic diagram of apigenin improves testosterone synthesis by regulating endoplasmic reticullum stress.
The schematic diagram of apigenin improves testosterone synthesis by regulating endoplasmic reticullum stress.Le texte complet de cet article est disponible en PDF.
Highlights |
• | Apigenin relieves obesity-related testicular dysfunction. |
• | Apigenin restores testosterone synthesis by antagonizing the PERK-CHOP pathway. |
• | CHOP directly binds and then negatively modulates steroidogenic STAR in Leydig cells. |
• | Apigenin reduces lipid accumulation and improves lipid metabolism. |
Abbreviations : 17β-HSD, 3β-HSD, 4-PBA, AP, ATF4, ATF6, CHOP, CYP11A1, CYP17A1, E2, EIF2A, ERS, FFA, FSH, GnRH, GRP-78, HDL-C, HE, HFD, IG, IRE1, LDL-C, LH, ND, ORO, PERK, SRB1, STAR, T, TC, TG, TUDCA, TUN
Keywords : Obesity, Male infertility, Apigenin, Endoplasmic reticulum stress, Testosterone synthesis
Plan
Vol 177
Article 117075- août 2024 Retour au numéroBienvenue sur EM-consulte, la référence des professionnels de santé.
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