Open Access

Efficacy and mechanism of lipoic acid in the treatment of reproductive injury caused by perfluorooctanoic acid

  • Authors:
    • Zhiyan Zhang
    • Rong Wen
    • Wenlong Zhang
    • Na Ge
    • Jinwei Bo
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: January 30, 2023     https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2023.11815
  • Article Number: 116
  • Copyright: © Zhang et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

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Abstract

Environmental pollutants, including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), cause severe reproductive damage to humans and animals. Lipoic acid (LA) is a strong antioxidant that alleviates the oxidative damage caused by heavy metals, environmental toxicants, chemical poisons, etc. Therefore, the present study investigated the curative effect and mechanism of LA in treating spermatogenesis dysfunction caused by PFOA. A rat reproductive injury model was established by gavage of PFOA for consecutive 30 days and then rats were treated with different doses of LA for 42 days. The effects were assessed by ELISA, western blotting, H&E staining and immunofluorescence staining. The results demonstrated that LA had ameliorating effects on PFOA‑induced reproductive injury in rats, it increased the sperm counts, and the levels of serum succinate dehydrogenase, lactate dehydrogenase, glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase returned to normal levels following LA treatment. In addition, LA promoted the expression of estradiol, reduced the expression of serum sex hormones, such as follicle‑stimulating hormone, androgen receptor (AR) and malondialdehyde in the testes, and restored the structure of seminiferous tubules. Its therapeutic mechanisms include regulating the testicular oxidative stress pathway and hypothalamic‑pituitary‑testis axis.
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March-2023
Volume 25 Issue 3

Print ISSN: 1792-0981
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Spandidos Publications style
Zhang Z, Wen R, Zhang W, Ge N and Bo J: Efficacy and mechanism of lipoic acid in the treatment of reproductive injury caused by perfluorooctanoic acid. Exp Ther Med 25: 116, 2023
APA
Zhang, Z., Wen, R., Zhang, W., Ge, N., & Bo, J. (2023). Efficacy and mechanism of lipoic acid in the treatment of reproductive injury caused by perfluorooctanoic acid. Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine, 25, 116. https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2023.11815
MLA
Zhang, Z., Wen, R., Zhang, W., Ge, N., Bo, J."Efficacy and mechanism of lipoic acid in the treatment of reproductive injury caused by perfluorooctanoic acid". Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine 25.3 (2023): 116.
Chicago
Zhang, Z., Wen, R., Zhang, W., Ge, N., Bo, J."Efficacy and mechanism of lipoic acid in the treatment of reproductive injury caused by perfluorooctanoic acid". Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine 25, no. 3 (2023): 116. https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2023.11815