Effect of inorganic mercury exposure on reproductive system of male mice: Immunosuppression and fibrosis in testis
Siyu Li, Bing Han, Pengfei Wu, Qingyue Yang, Xiaoqiao Wang, Jiayi Li, Yuge Liao, Ning Deng, Huijie Jiang, Zhigang Zhang
Abstract
ABSTRACT Mercury as a toxic heavy metal will accumulate in the body and induce various diseases through the food chain. However, it is unknown that the detailed mechanism of reproductive disorder induced by inorganic mercury in male mice to date. This study investigated the toxicological effect of mercuric chloride (HgCl 2 ) exposure on reproductive system in male mice. Male Kunming mice received normal saline daily or HgCl 2 (3 mg/kg bodyweight) by intraperitoneal injection for a week. The reproductive function was evaluated, and the HgCl 2 exposure induced the decline of sperm quality, pregnancy rate, mean litter size, and survival rate. Notably, we firstly found the HgCl 2 ‐induced immunosuppression and fibrosis in mice testis according to the results of RNA sequencing. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that HgCl 2 exposure disrupts the reproductive system and induces testicular immunosuppression and fibrosis via inhibition of the CD74 signaling pathway in male mice.