Casein and pea enriched high-protein diet attenuates arsenic provoked apoptosis in testicles of adult rats

Sagnik Biswas; Priyankar Pal; Rubia Mondal; Prabir Kumar Mukhopadhyay

doi:10.1093/toxres/tfad043

Casein and pea enriched high-protein diet attenuates arsenic provoked apoptosis in testicles of adult rats

Toxicol Res (Camb). 2023 Jun 14;12(4):551-563. doi: 10.1093/toxres/tfad043. eCollection 2023 Aug.

Authors

Sagnik Biswas¹, Priyankar Pal¹, Rubia Mondal¹, Prabir Kumar Mukhopadhyay¹

Affiliation

¹ Department of Life Sciences, Presidency University, Kolkata, India.

PMID: 37663799
PMCID: PMC10470344 (available on 2024-06-14)
DOI: 10.1093/toxres/tfad043

Abstract

Arsenic toxicity is a major health issue that also threats male reproductive system leading to impairment of fertility. The antioxidant capacity of casein and pea enriched formulated high-protein diet (FHPD) is found to be effective in different toxicity management. The present study was endeavored to investigate the mitigatory aspect of FHPD on arsenic stimulated testicular apoptosis. Adult male rats were maintained on either normal diet as control (Gr I, n = 8) and arsenic (As₂O₃) treated at a dose of 3 mg/kg/rat/day (Gr II, n = 8) or on isocaloric FHPD as supplemented (Gr III, n = 8) with same dose of arsenic for 30 consecutive days. Testicular histomorphometry, spermatokinetics, testicular functional marker enzymes, serum gonadotrophins, oxidative stress markers, testicular deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage, and apoptosis markers were evaluated to assess the reprotoxicity of arsenic and subsequent protection by FHPD. FHPD protected the histopathological alterations and also restored normal spermatogenesis. Altered enzymatic activities of testicular functional markers like lactate dehydrogenase, γ-glutamyl transferase, acid phosphatase, and alkaline phosphatase were also regularized. FHPD also reinstated the normal level of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinising hormone (LH), and also normalized the enzymatic activities of testicular glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase. Testicular DNA damage was also prevented by FHPD supplementation. Testicular apoptosis marked by the altered messenger ribonucleic acid and protein expression of apoptotic markers like Bax, Bcl-2, caspase 9, and caspase 3 were also attenuated upon FHPD supplementation along with diminution of arsenic accumulation in testicular tissues. FHPD not only mitigated the adverse effects of arsenic induced gonadotoxicity but also helped in sustaining the normal reproductive functions.

Keywords: DNA-damage; apoptosis; arsenic; casein and pea; testis.