Polystyrene microplastics trigger testosterone decline via GPX1

Abstract

As an emerging environmental endocrine disruptor, polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) are considered to have the anti-androgenic feature and impair male reproductive function. To explore the adverse effects of PS-MPs on testosterone synthesis and male reproduction and further elucidate underlying mechanisms, BALB/c mice and Leydig cells were employed in the present work. The results indicated that 50 μm PS-MPs accumulated in mouse testes and were internalized into the cytoplasm. This not only damaged the testicular histomorphology and ultrastructure, but also reduced the viability of Leydig cells and the serum level of GnRH, FSH, LH, and testosterone. After PS-MPs exposure, the ubiquitination degradation and miR-425-3p-targeted modulation synergistically contributed to the suppression of GPX1, which induced oxidative stress and subsequently activated the PERK-EIF2α-ATF4-CHOP pathway of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. The transcription factor CHOP positively regulated the expression of SRD5A2 by directly binding to its promoter region, thereby accelerating testosterone metabolism and ultimately lowing testosterone levels. Besides, PS-MPs compromised testosterone homeostasis via interfering with the hypothalamic-pituitary-testis (HPT) axis. Taken together, PS-MPs possess an anti-androgenic characteristic and exert male reproductive damage effects. The antioxidant enzyme GPX1 plays a crucial role in the PS-MPs-mediated testosterone decline.