Unveiling the nexus between environmental exposures and testicular damages: revelations from autophagy and oxidative stress imbalance
Abstract Recent evidence consolidates the deleterious impact of environmental exposure on testicular damage. Environmental exposures can instigate testicular toxicity, causing damage to the Sertoli-Sertoli cell-mediated blood-testis barrier (BTB) integrity, alterations in hormone levels orchestrated...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Publishing Group
2025-05-01
|
| Series: | Cell Death Discovery |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41420-025-02543-4 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849705350759972864 |
|---|---|
| author | Xiuwen Kong Xinda Wang Qiushi Xia Qingqing Hu Wenqian Yu Qiuru Huang Jiaxin Li Chenyu Wang Ziwen Lin Yiheng Liu Yujuan Qi Xiaofang Tan Bo Zheng Jun Yu |
| author_facet | Xiuwen Kong Xinda Wang Qiushi Xia Qingqing Hu Wenqian Yu Qiuru Huang Jiaxin Li Chenyu Wang Ziwen Lin Yiheng Liu Yujuan Qi Xiaofang Tan Bo Zheng Jun Yu |
| author_sort | Xiuwen Kong |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Recent evidence consolidates the deleterious impact of environmental exposure on testicular damage. Environmental exposures can instigate testicular toxicity, causing damage to the Sertoli-Sertoli cell-mediated blood-testis barrier (BTB) integrity, alterations in hormone levels orchestrated by aberrant Leydig cells, and disruption of spermatogenesis. Despite diverse study designs and methodologies, a consensus is emerging on how environmental factors induce oxidative stress by elevating ROS levels, affecting autophagy through pathways such as the ROS-mediated mTOR signaling pathway, ultimately culminating in testicular damage. This review synthesizes existing literature on how environmental exposures, including metals, air pollutants, industrial contaminants, and pesticides, disturb testicular homeostasis via autophagy-mediated oxidative stress, highlighting recent significant advancements. It also explores interventions like antioxidant support and autophagy regulation to alleviate testicular damage. These findings underscore the importance of elucidating the mechanisms of autophagy influenced by environmental exposures in disrupting the equilibrium of oxidative stress, identifying potential drug targets, and establishing a groundwork for enhancing future treatments and clinical management of testicular injuries. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b553ef7d97e4461da47be6fe4952a4ca |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2058-7716 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Nature Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cell Death Discovery |
| spelling | doaj-art-b553ef7d97e4461da47be6fe4952a4ca2025-08-20T03:16:29ZengNature Publishing GroupCell Death Discovery2058-77162025-05-0111111510.1038/s41420-025-02543-4Unveiling the nexus between environmental exposures and testicular damages: revelations from autophagy and oxidative stress imbalanceXiuwen Kong0Xinda Wang1Qiushi Xia2Qingqing Hu3Wenqian Yu4Qiuru Huang5Jiaxin Li6Chenyu Wang7Ziwen Lin8Yiheng Liu9Yujuan Qi10Xiaofang Tan11Bo Zheng12Jun Yu13Institute of Reproductive Medicine, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory in University for Inflammation and Molecular Drug Target, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong UniversityInstitute of Reproductive Medicine, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory in University for Inflammation and Molecular Drug Target, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong UniversityInstitute of Reproductive Medicine, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory in University for Inflammation and Molecular Drug Target, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong UniversityInstitute of Reproductive Medicine, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory in University for Inflammation and Molecular Drug Target, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong UniversityInstitute of Reproductive Medicine, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory in University for Inflammation and Molecular Drug Target, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong UniversityInstitute of Reproductive Medicine, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory in University for Inflammation and Molecular Drug Target, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong UniversityInstitute of Reproductive Medicine, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory in University for Inflammation and Molecular Drug Target, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong UniversityInstitute of Reproductive Medicine, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory in University for Inflammation and Molecular Drug Target, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong UniversityInstitute of Reproductive Medicine, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory in University for Inflammation and Molecular Drug Target, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong UniversityInstitute of Reproductive Medicine, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory in University for Inflammation and Molecular Drug Target, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong UniversityClinical Center of Reproductive Medicine, Xuzhou Central Hospital, Southeast University Affiliated Xuzhou Central Hospital, Xuzhou Clinical School of Xuzhou Medical UniversityReproductive medicine Center, Affiliated Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital of Nantong UniversityState Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Center for Reproduction and Genetics, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical UniversityInstitute of Reproductive Medicine, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory in University for Inflammation and Molecular Drug Target, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong UniversityAbstract Recent evidence consolidates the deleterious impact of environmental exposure on testicular damage. Environmental exposures can instigate testicular toxicity, causing damage to the Sertoli-Sertoli cell-mediated blood-testis barrier (BTB) integrity, alterations in hormone levels orchestrated by aberrant Leydig cells, and disruption of spermatogenesis. Despite diverse study designs and methodologies, a consensus is emerging on how environmental factors induce oxidative stress by elevating ROS levels, affecting autophagy through pathways such as the ROS-mediated mTOR signaling pathway, ultimately culminating in testicular damage. This review synthesizes existing literature on how environmental exposures, including metals, air pollutants, industrial contaminants, and pesticides, disturb testicular homeostasis via autophagy-mediated oxidative stress, highlighting recent significant advancements. It also explores interventions like antioxidant support and autophagy regulation to alleviate testicular damage. These findings underscore the importance of elucidating the mechanisms of autophagy influenced by environmental exposures in disrupting the equilibrium of oxidative stress, identifying potential drug targets, and establishing a groundwork for enhancing future treatments and clinical management of testicular injuries.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41420-025-02543-4 |
| spellingShingle | Xiuwen Kong Xinda Wang Qiushi Xia Qingqing Hu Wenqian Yu Qiuru Huang Jiaxin Li Chenyu Wang Ziwen Lin Yiheng Liu Yujuan Qi Xiaofang Tan Bo Zheng Jun Yu Unveiling the nexus between environmental exposures and testicular damages: revelations from autophagy and oxidative stress imbalance Cell Death Discovery |
| title | Unveiling the nexus between environmental exposures and testicular damages: revelations from autophagy and oxidative stress imbalance |
| title_full | Unveiling the nexus between environmental exposures and testicular damages: revelations from autophagy and oxidative stress imbalance |
| title_fullStr | Unveiling the nexus between environmental exposures and testicular damages: revelations from autophagy and oxidative stress imbalance |
| title_full_unstemmed | Unveiling the nexus between environmental exposures and testicular damages: revelations from autophagy and oxidative stress imbalance |
| title_short | Unveiling the nexus between environmental exposures and testicular damages: revelations from autophagy and oxidative stress imbalance |
| title_sort | unveiling the nexus between environmental exposures and testicular damages revelations from autophagy and oxidative stress imbalance |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41420-025-02543-4 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT xiuwenkong unveilingthenexusbetweenenvironmentalexposuresandtesticulardamagesrevelationsfromautophagyandoxidativestressimbalance AT xindawang unveilingthenexusbetweenenvironmentalexposuresandtesticulardamagesrevelationsfromautophagyandoxidativestressimbalance AT qiushixia unveilingthenexusbetweenenvironmentalexposuresandtesticulardamagesrevelationsfromautophagyandoxidativestressimbalance AT qingqinghu unveilingthenexusbetweenenvironmentalexposuresandtesticulardamagesrevelationsfromautophagyandoxidativestressimbalance AT wenqianyu unveilingthenexusbetweenenvironmentalexposuresandtesticulardamagesrevelationsfromautophagyandoxidativestressimbalance AT qiuruhuang unveilingthenexusbetweenenvironmentalexposuresandtesticulardamagesrevelationsfromautophagyandoxidativestressimbalance AT jiaxinli unveilingthenexusbetweenenvironmentalexposuresandtesticulardamagesrevelationsfromautophagyandoxidativestressimbalance AT chenyuwang unveilingthenexusbetweenenvironmentalexposuresandtesticulardamagesrevelationsfromautophagyandoxidativestressimbalance AT ziwenlin unveilingthenexusbetweenenvironmentalexposuresandtesticulardamagesrevelationsfromautophagyandoxidativestressimbalance AT yihengliu unveilingthenexusbetweenenvironmentalexposuresandtesticulardamagesrevelationsfromautophagyandoxidativestressimbalance AT yujuanqi unveilingthenexusbetweenenvironmentalexposuresandtesticulardamagesrevelationsfromautophagyandoxidativestressimbalance AT xiaofangtan unveilingthenexusbetweenenvironmentalexposuresandtesticulardamagesrevelationsfromautophagyandoxidativestressimbalance AT bozheng unveilingthenexusbetweenenvironmentalexposuresandtesticulardamagesrevelationsfromautophagyandoxidativestressimbalance AT junyu unveilingthenexusbetweenenvironmentalexposuresandtesticulardamagesrevelationsfromautophagyandoxidativestressimbalance |