Study of antagonism of citric acid on aluminum-induced toxicity in mice testis cells

[摘要] To study the qualitative changes in testis tissue after aluminum chloride (AlCl₃) administration and to determine whether citric acid (CA) has a protective effect against testis damage induced by AlCl₃. In this study, 80 Kunming white mice were randomly separated into eight groups: (1) control, (2) CA (120 mg/kg), (3, 4 and 5) AlCl₃ (20, 40 and 60 mg/kg), (6, 7 and 8) AlCl₃ (20, 40 and 60 mg/kg) plus CA (120 mg/kg). After animals were killed, all testes were histopathologically examined under light microscopy; T-SOD and GSH-Px activities, H₂O₂ and MDA contents, and Bax and Bcl-2 levels were detected with the corresponding assay kits; DNA fragmentation were electrophoretically examined. Histopathological results indicated that AlCl₃ severely damage to mouse testis tissues, however, the protective effects on testes was observed when AlCl₃ combined with CA. Biochemical examination suggested that T-SOD and GSH-Px activities significantly decreased (P<0.05) in AlCl₃ groups, while remarkably improved in CA+AlCl₃ (especially middle and high dose groups) groups; H₂O₂ and MDA levels in higher-dose AlCl₃ groups were obviously higher (P<0.05) than in CA+ corresponding dose AlCl₃ groups. Cell apoptosis assays showed that Bax/Bcl-2 ratio in higher-dose AlCl₃ groups were higher than CA+ higher-dose AlCl₃ groups; and DNA fragmentation in middle-dose AlCl₃ groups was much more apparent in CA+ middle-dose AlCl₃ groups. It can be concluded that a certain concentration of AlCl₃ exerts a reproductive toxicity to mice, and administration of citric acid can reduce the adverse effects of AlCl₃ on testis.

[学科分类] 分子生物学，细胞生物学和基因

[关键词] Cell apoptosis