Protective Role of Spirulina platensis against Bifenthrin-Induced Reprotoxicity in Adult Male Mice by Reversing Expression of Altered Histological, Biochemical, and Molecular Markers Including MicroRNAs

Abstract

The potential reprotoxicity of bifenthrin remains unclear if only the common clinical indicators of reproductive disease are examined. The present study aimed to investigate the efficacy of Spirulina platensis, a microalga rich in antioxidant compounds, against bifenthrin-induced testicular oxidative damage in male mice. At the first, we demonstrate that administration of bifenthrin resulted in a decline of testosterone level and in deterioration of sperm quality that was correlated with significant transcription changes of some specific mRNA and microRNA involved in cholesterol transport, testosterone synthesis, and spermatogenesis. At the biochemical level, we found that oxidative stress was obvious in the bifenthrin group, as evidenced by increase in malondialdehyde (MDA), protein carbonyls (PCO), reactive oxygen species (ROS), and nitrite oxide (NO) that was correlated with activation of genes related to mitochondrial apoptotic signal pathways. We then brought, for the first time to our knowledge, solid and complete experimental evidences that administration of mice with Spirulina extract was sufficient to protect against deleterious effects BF in testicular tissues by abrogating the change in antioxidant enzyme activities; the increase in MDA, PCO, and NO concentrations; and the altered expression level of miRNA and mRNA involved in spermatogenesis. We finally demonstrate that Spirulina restores the production of testosterone in mice as well as epididymal sperm viability and motility. These results suggest a potential antitoxic activity of Tunisian Spirulina deserving further attention.

Spirulina ameliorates arsenic induced reproductive toxicity in male rats

“…The color of the free part of the PBS became grayish after accumulation of sperm by swimming. About 10 µL of the grayish PBS was taken on a clean and dried glass slide and covered by a cover slip and the sperm motility was immediately studied under a microscope (Barkallah et al, 2020;El-Desoky et al, 2013) microscope.…”

“…The CRM was used in each set of digestion, reduction of samples and analysis of tAs and the recovery rate was recorded. When the recovery rate of CRM was observed less than 85% or above 100% in any set of the sample preparation process, the whole process (digestion to determination) was repeated (Afkhami-Ardakani et al, 2018;Barkallah et al, 2020).…”

“…Sections of 3 µm thickness were obtained using rotary microtome, and stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin. Histological sections-stained tissue sections were examined under DIC microscope (Olympus, Japan) fitted with a monitor and a digital camera (Afkhami-Ardakani et al, 2018;Barkallah et al, 2020). The mean seminiferous tubule diameter was obtained by randomly measuring 30 tubular cross sections, as circular as possible.…”

Natural Products as Protective Agents for Male Fertility

“…Moreover, the in vivo protective action of S. platensis against bifenthrin-induced reprotoxicity has been documented. In that study, S. platensis administrated before bifenthrin partially re-established the oxidant/antioxidant equilibrium, testosterone production, testicular mRNA, and microRNA levels of the genes involved in spermatogenesis as well as sperm motility and viability [181].…”

Modified Spirulina maxima Pectin Nanoparticles Improve the Developmental Competence of In Vitro Matured Porcine Oocytes

“…Among the other farm animals, pectin has shown a beneficial impact on pig nutrition and health contexts, which was performed in vivo, ex vivo, and in vitro studies [ 32 ]. The development of reproductive performance using crude extracts of microalgae has been widely discussed in livestock animals [ 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 ]. Microalgae Spirulina is a photosynthetic cyanobacterium that has been used to improve reproductive efficiency in in vivo bovine studies [ 33 ].…”