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Glutamate and aspartate alleviate testicular/epididymal oxidative stress by supporting antioxidant enzymes and immune defense systems in boars

Science China Life Sciences volume 63, pages 116–124 (2020)Cite this article

Abstract

Several potential oxidative agents have damaging effects on mammalian reproductive systems. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of glutamate (Glu) and aspartate (Asp) supplementation on antioxidant enzymes and immune defense systems in the outer scrotum of boars injected with H2O2. A total of 24 healthy boars were randomly divided into 4 treatment groups: control (basal diet, saline-treated), H2O2 (basal diet, H2O2-challenged outer scrotum (1 mL kg−1 BW)), Glu (basal diet +2% Glu, H2O2-challenged), and Asp (basal diet+2% Asp, H2O2-challenged). Our results showed that both Glu and Asp supplementation improved testicular morphology and decreased the genital index in the H2O2-treated boars. Glu and Asp administration increased the antioxidant enzyme activities and affected the testicular inflammatory cytokine secretion but had no effect on sex hormone levels. Furthermore, the mRNA expression of CAT, CuZnSOD, and GPx4 was altered in the testes and epididymis of boars treated with Asp and Glu. Glu and Asp supplementation also modulated the expression of TGF-β1, IL-10, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β in the testis and epididymis. These results indicate that dietary Glu and Asp supplementation might enhance antioxidant capacity and regulate the secretion and expression of inflammatory cytokines to protect the testes and epididymis of boars against oxidative stress.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Science Foundation for Outstanding Young Scholars of Hunan Province (2019JJ30017), National Natural Science Foundation of China (31872371), Key Research and Development Programs of Hunan Province (2017NK2321), Changsha Science and Technology Key Program (kq1801058), the Science Foundation for Outstanding Youth Scholars of the Department of Hunan Provincial Education (18B012), the Earmarked Fund for China Agriculture Research System (CARS-35), the Open Fund of Key Laboratory of Agro-ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ISA2018204), the project of “Innovation Platform and Talents Program” of Hunan Provincial Science and Technology Department (2018RS3105), Hunan Province Key Laboratory of Animal Nutritional Physiology and Metabolic Process (2018TP1031), the Project “2011 Collaborative Innovation Center of Hunan province” (2013, No.448), Science & Technology Innovation Talents of Hunan Province (2017TP1021 kc1704007).

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  1. Contributed equally to this work

Affiliations

  1. Hunan International Joint Laboratory of Animal Intestinal Ecology and Health, Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Human Health, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China

    Wenjie Tang, Liuqin He & Yulong Yin

  2. Key Laboratory of Agro-ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutritional Physiology and Metabolic Process, National Engineering Laboratory for Pollution Control and Waste Utilization in Livestock and Poultry Production, Changsha, 410125, China

    Jian Wu, Shunshun Jin, Liuqin He, Tiejun Li & Yulong Yin

  3. National Engineering Laboratory for Deep Process of Rice and Byproducts, Hunan Key Laboratory of Grain-oil Deep Process and Quality Control, Hunan Key Laboratory of Processed Food for Special Medical Purpose, College of Food Science and Engineering, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, 410004, China

    Liuqin He, Qinlu Lin & Feijun Luo

  4. Academics Working Station at The First Affiliated Hospital, Changsha Medical University, Changsha, 410219, China

    Binsheng He, Pingping Bing & Yulong Yin

  5. Animal Breeding and Genetics Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Academy of Animal Sciences, Chengdu, 610066, China

    Wenjie Tang

  6. Changsha Green Leaf Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Changsha, Hunan, 610066, China

    Xingguo He

  7. Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, 150086, China

    Yanzhong Feng

Authors
  1. Wenjie Tang
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  2. Jian Wu
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  3. Shunshun Jin
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  4. Liuqin He
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  5. Qinlu Lin
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  8. Yanzhong Feng
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  9. Binsheng He
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Correspondence to Liuqin He or Tiejun Li.

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Tang, W., Wu, J., Jin, S. et al. Glutamate and aspartate alleviate testicular/epididymal oxidative stress by supporting antioxidant enzymes and immune defense systems in boars. Sci. China Life Sci. 63, 116–124 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11427-018-9492-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11427-018-9492-8

Keywords

  • glutamate
  • aspartate
  • boars
  • oxidative stress
  • inflammatory cytokines