Glyphosate-based herbicide (GBH) is a broad-spectrum and popular herbicide, which may contaminate the aquatic environment through various routes and impact aquatic animals. In this study, the morphology, the function to digest the spermatophore walls and causes, antioxidant capacities, energy reserves, and metabolism enzyme activities of accessory sex glands (ASGs) were evaluated after Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) exposed to GBH (48.945 mg/L, 1/2 of the 96 h LC50 value of GBH) for 7 days. After GBH exposure, vacuolar degeneration in ASGs can be observed. The function of ASGs to digest spermatophore walls was affected as accompanied by the decreased expression levels of cathepsin A (cathA) and activities of ACP in ASGs. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) in ASGs were significantly decreased, the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) and protein carbonyl (PCO) were significantly increased. The contents of protein and glycogen were significantly decreased, and the activities of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were significantly decreased in AGSs. These results revealed that GBH can damage the reproductive health of E.sinensis by impairing ASGs morphology, weakening the function of ASGs to digest spermatophore walls, decreasing antioxidant capacities, and affecting energy reserves and metabolism in ASGs.
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