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D-Limonene Alleviates Oxidative Stress Injury of the Testis Induced by Arsenic in Rat

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Abstract

Long-term exposure to arsenic can lead to testicular damage and lower sperm quality in males, which is mediated by increased arsenic-induced oxidative stress and other damage mechanisms. D-Limonene, which is rich in oranges, lemons, oranges, grapes and other natural fruits, can relieve doxorubicin (DOX)-induced kidney injury and CCL4-induced cardiac toxicity by inhibiting oxidative stress and inflammatory response. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of D-limonene motivate us to further explore whether it can reduce arsenic-induced testicular injury. To verify this scientific hypothesis, testicular pathology, testicular oxidative stress levels and sperm motility were determined after intervention with D-limonene in rats chronically exposed to arsenic. As expected, long-term arsenic exposure caused testicular tissue structure disturbances, increased levels of oxidative stress, and decreased sperm activation, all of which were significantly inhibited due to treatment with D-limonene. In conclusion, our data reveal a previously unproven beneficial effect of D-limonene, namely that D-limonene can inhibit arsenic-induced testicular injury, and also provide theoretical and experimental basis for the application of D-limonene in the treatment of arsenic-induced testicular injury.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Research Center of Basic Medical School of Guizhou Medical University for providing experimental equipment.

Funding

This work was supported by the Guizhou Provincial Education Department Youth Science and Technology Talent Growth Project [grant No. Qianjiaohe KY, (2021) 150] and the Science and Technology Project of Guizhou Province [grant No. Qiankehejichu-ZK (2021) Yiban 374].

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  1. Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550025, Guizhou, China

    Yanping Yang, Yan Hong, Jing Han, Zhe Yang, Nanmin Huang, Binwei Xu & Qi Wang

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  1. Yanping Yang
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Contributions

Qi Wang and Yanping Yang: conceived and designed the experiment. Yan Hong, Jing Han, Zhe Yang, Nanmin Huang, and Binwei Xu: performed the experiments and data analysis. Qi Wang and Yanping Yang: prepared figures and the manuscript. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version. Qi Wang and Yanping Yang confirmed the authenticity of the raw data.

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Yang, Y., Hong, Y., Han, J. et al. D-Limonene Alleviates Oxidative Stress Injury of the Testis Induced by Arsenic in Rat. Biol Trace Elem Res 202, 2776–2785 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-023-03881-z

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