Kisspeptin-10 Improves Testicular Redox Status but Does Not Alter the Unfolded Protein Response (UPR) That Is Downregulated by Hypothyroidism in a Rat Model

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences 2024-02, Vol.25 (3), p.1514
• Main Authors: Santos, Luciano Cardoso, Dos Anjos Cordeiro, Jeane Martinha, Cunha, Maria Clara da Silva Galrão, Santos, Bianca Reis, Oliveira, Luciana Santos de, da Silva, Adriana Lopes, Barbosa, Erikles Macêdo, Niella, Raquel Vieira, de Freitas, Gustavo José Cota, Santos, Daniel de Assis, Serakides, Rogéria, Ocarino, Natália de Melo, Borges, Stephanie Carvalho, de Lavor, Mário Sérgio Lima, Silva, Juneo Freitas
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antioxidants; Apoptosis; Enzymes; Gene expression; Genes; Hypothyroidism; Kinases; Males; Medical research; Medicine, Experimental; Oxidation; Oxidative stress; Protein expression; Proteins; Sperm; Testes; Thyroid hormones; Transcription factors
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms25031514

Hypothyroidism compromises the testicular redox status and is associated with reduced sperm quality and infertility in men. In this regard, studies have demonstrated the antioxidant potential of kisspeptin in reproductive and metabolic diseases. In this study, we evaluate the effects of kisspeptin-10 (Kp10) on the testicular redox, as well as mediators of the unfolded protein response (UPR) in adult rats with hypothyroidism. Adult male Wistar rats were randomly separated into the Control ( = 15), Hypo ( = 13) and Hypo + Kp10 ( = 14) groups, and hypothyroidism was induced with 6-propyl-2-thiouracil (PTU) for three months. In the last month, half of the hypothyroid animals received Kp10. Testis samples were collected for enzymatic, immunohistochemical and/or gene evaluation of mediators of oxidative stress (TBARs, lipid hydroperoxides (LOOH), ROS, peroxynitrite, SOD, CAT and GPX), endoplasmic reticulum stress (GRP78, ATF6, PERK, CHOP, HO-1 and sXBP1) and antiapoptocytes (BCL-2). Hypothyroidism increased apoptosis index, TBARS and LOOH concentrations, and reduced testicular gene expression of , and , as well as the expression of , , and . Treatment with Kp10, in turn, reduced testicular apoptosis and the production of peroxynitrite, while increased SOD1 and GPX ½ expression, and enzymatic activity of CAT, but did not affect the lower expression of UPR mediators caused by hypothyroidism. This study demonstrated that hypothyroidism causes oxidative stress and dysregulated the UPR pathway in rat testes and that, although Kp10 does not influence the low expression of UPR mediators, it improves the testicular redox status, configuring it as an important antioxidant factor in situations of thyroid dysfunction.