Protective Effect of Quercetin on Testicular Injury in Chronic Cadmium Poisoning Mice

Purpose To verify the protective effect of quercetin on testicular injury in chronic cadmium poisoning mice.

Methods A total of 40 two-month-old clean-grade male healthy mice were randomly divided into four groups: ① the control group, which the mice were intraperitoneally injected with 0.9% normal saline every other day; ② the cadmium group, which the mice were intraperitoneally injected with 0.45 g/L cadmium chloride every other day; ③ the quercetin+cadmium group, which the mice were intraperitoneally injected with 0.45 g/L cadmium chloride and intragastrically administered 22.50 mg/mL quercetin every other day; ④ the quercetin group, which the mice were intragastrically administered 22.50 mg/mL quercetin every other day. After one month of continuous treatment, the mice were sacrificed, and testicular tissues were collected for pathological observation and Western-blot detection.

Results Compared with the control group, the testicular structure of the cadmium group did not change significantly, but the spermatogonium and spermatocytes at all levels were irregularly sorted, the number of spermatozoa decreased, the seminiferous tubules atrophied, and the cytoplasm was vacuolated; the expression of Cleaved Caspase-3 protein was extremely significantly increased (P<0.01). Quercetin intervention significantly improved the testicular cell structure of cadmium mice, made it clearer and more orderly, increased the number of spermatozoa, alleviated cytoplasmic vacuolation, and inhibited the increase of cadmium-induced expression of Cleaved Caspase-3 protein.

Conclusion Quercetin can inhibit the expression of Cleaved Caspase-3 protein in mice testicular tissues caused by cadmium poisoning, which has a certain protective effect and helps to slow down the injury of chronic cadmium poisoning to the testis of mice.