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  2. Butylated hydroxyanisole induces testicular dysfunction in mouse testis cells by dysregulating calcium homeostasis and stimulating endoplasmic reticulum stress

Butylated hydroxyanisole induces testicular dysfunction in mouse testis cells by dysregulating calcium homeostasis and stimulating endoplasmic reticulum stress

  • Sci Total Environ. 2020 Feb 1;702:134775. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134775.
Jiyeon Ham 1 Whasun Lim 2 Seungkwon You 3 Gwonhwa Song 4
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea.
  • 2 Department of Food and Nutrition, Kookmin University, Seoul 02707, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: wlim@kookmin.ac.kr.
  • 3 Department of Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: bioseung@korea.ac.kr.
  • 4 Department of Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: ghsong@korea.ac.kr.
Abstract

Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), a synthetic phenolic antioxidant (SPA), has been used as a food additive. However, BHA acts as an environmental hormone, i.e., endocrine disruptor. Here, we investigated BHA-induced male reproductive dysfunction in mouse Leydig and Sertoli cells. We found that BHA suppressed proliferation and induced cell cycle arrest in TM3 and TM4 cells. Furthermore, we investigated mitochondrial permeabilization, expression profiles of pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic proteins, calcium influx, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in testicular cells after BHA treatment. The results indicated that BHA-mediated calcium dysregulation and ER stress downregulated steroidogenesis- and spermatogenesis-related genes in mouse testis cell lines. Additionally, proliferation of both TM3 and TM4 cells in response to BHA treatment was regulated via the Mapk and Akt signaling pathways. Therefore, constant BHA exposure may lead to testicular toxicity via mitochondrial dysfunction, ER stress, and abnormal calcium levels in the testis.

Keywords

BHA; ER stress; Leydig cell; Mitochondrial apoptosis; Sertoli cell.

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