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Ionizing radiation (IR) is one of the key contributors that cause male infertility by disturbing spermatogenesis. Lycopene, a carotenoid with strong antioxidant properties, was shown to protect against oxidative damage induced by IR in several experimental models. The present study was designed to explore the possible protective effects of lycopene against IR-induced testicular damage in C57BL/6 mice. Mice were administered lycopene (20 mg/kg) by oral gavage for seven consecutive days prior to a single dose of whole-body X-ray irradiation (4 Gy, 1 Gy/min). We observed that lycopene remarkably augmented sperm motility and reduced sperm abnormalities in mice following IR exposure. Histopathological analyses also revealed that lycopene ameliorated the structural damage of seminiferous tubules and enhanced the regeneration of seminiferous epithelium following IR stress. Moreover, lycopene attenuated IR-induced oxidative stress, as evidenced by a decreasing lipid peroxidation level and an increase in the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase activity. In addition, lycopene reduced the γH2AX expression and the number of TUNEL-positive cells in the germinal epithelium, as well as restoring the imbalance of Bax/Bcl-2 expression induced by IR exposure. Furthermore, lycopene prevented mitochondrial membrane potential depolarization and ATP reduction and preserved the activities of mitochondrial complexes I-IV in the testes of mice after exposure to IR. Lycopene also improved mitochondrial biogenesis in testes of mice exposed to IR, presenting as restored expressions of PGC-1α, Nrf1, and Tfam. Taken together, our results suggest that lycopene alleviates IR-induced testicular damage, and the underlying mechanism involves at least in part the inhibition of the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway and the maintenance of mitochondrial respiration and biogenesis. The beneficial effect of lycopene highlights the therapeutic potential of this plant-derived antioxidant against impaired spermatogenesis and male infertility induced by IR., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there is no financial or non‐financial conflict of interest in the study., (© 2023 The Authors. Food Science & Nutrition published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Intake excessive arsenic (As) is related to the occurrence of peripheral neuropathy. However, both the underlying mechanism and the preventive approach remain largely unknown. In the present study, As treatment significantly decreased the mechanical withdrawal threshold and increased the titer of anti-myelin basic protein antibody in rats, accompanied with damaged BNB. The levels of inflammatory cytokines and proteolytic enzymes were also significantly upregulated. However, administration of MeCbl in As-treated rats significantly reversed the decline in hindfoot mechanical withdrawal threshold, as well as BNB failure and sciatic nerve inflammation. Repeated As treatment in athymic nude mice indicated that sciatic nerve inflammation and mechanical hyperalgesia were T cell-dependent. These data implicated that MBP-activated autoimmunity and the related neuroinflammation probably contributed to As-induced mechanical hyperalgesia and MeCbl exerted a protective role probably via maintenance the integrity of BNB and inhibition of neuroinflammation., (© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Increasing evidence indicates the adverse effect of air pollution exposure during pregnancy on neurologic development among children. However, the impact on neurobehavioral development in fetus remains unknown. In 2017, a total of 1193 mother-newborns pairs were enrolled in a birth cohort study in Changsha, China. Exposures to PM 2.5 , PM 10, SO 2 , CO and NO 2 were determined by using inverse distance weighted method based on local monitoring station data. Neurobehavioral measure was administered at 48-72 h postpartum by utilizing the neonatal behavioral neurological assessment (NBNA). Basic information and covariates were collected by face to face interview. Generalized linear regression and multivariable restricted cubic spline function were performed to explore the trimester-specific association and dose-response relationship of maternal air pollution exposure with NBNA score, respectively. In adjusted three-pollutant model, PM 2.5 exposure in trimester 2 was negatively associated with behavior score (β, -0.003; 95% CI, -0.006, -0.001) and the inverse relation was more pronounced in male infants. In addition, PM 2.5 level in the 2nd trimester was negatively related to activetone score (β, -0.012; 95% CI, -0.021, -0.002) in a dose-dependent manner for both genders. Collectively, our results demonstrated that prenatal exposure to PM 2.5 was linked to poor neurobehavioral performance of newborns. The second trimester was the most sensitive time window for the developments of behavior and activetone, and male subject was more vulnerable as compared to females., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Association between fasting serum glucose (FSG) and certain mineral elements has been extensively reported. Investigation regarding multi-element exposure among subjects with different exposure level is warranted to confirm the association and further explore dose-dependent relationship., Methods: A total of 3488 participants were recruited from four counties of Hunan province, South China. Basic characteristics were collected by face to face interview and 23 elements in plasma were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. We applied fully adjusted generalized linear regression model and multivariable restricted cubic spline function to test the association and dose-response relationship of FSG with 23 elements., Results: The results indicated that FSG was positively associated with plasma 78 selenium level [regression coefficient (β), 0.001; 95 % confidence interval (CI), 0.001, 0.001] in a dose-dependent manner, robust to the adjustment for suspected covariates and stratification by age, gender, BMI and smoking status. A negative association was found between FSG and plasma 208 lead (β, -0.004; 95 % CI, -0.016, -0.002), 52 chromium (β, -0.002; 95 % CI, -0.004, -0.001) and 47 titanium (β, -0.001; 95 % CI, -0.002, -0.001)., Conclusion: 78 selenium was positively while 208 lead, 52 chromium and 47 titanium were negatively associated with FSG in the present study. However, prospective studies are needed to confirm the results., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)