Effects and possible mechanisms of combined exposure to noise and carbon monoxide on male reproductive system in rats

Abstract

Environmental hazards are an increasing concern due to the rapid pace of industrialization. Among these hazards, noise and carbon monoxide (CO) are common risk factors and have been shown to cause serious health problems. However, existing studies focused on the individual effects of noise and CO exposure and the combined effects of these two factors remain poorly understood. Our study aimed to examine the combined effects of noise and CO exposure on testicular function by constructing individual and combined exposure models. Our findings indicated that combined exposure to noise and CO was associated with a higher risk of testicular damage and male reproductive damage when compared to exposure alone. This was evidenced by poorer semen quality and more severe pathological damage to the testis. This combined exposure led to higher levels of oxidative stress and apoptosis in the testes, with bioinformatics analyses suggesting the signaling pathways involved in these responses. Specifically, activation of the P53 signaling pathway was found to contribute to the testicular damage caused by the combined exposure. Encouragingly, pterostilbene (PTE), a novel phytochemical, alleviated combined exposure‐induced testicular damage by reducing oxidative stress and germ cell apoptosis. Overall, we identified joint reproductive toxicity resulting from the exposure to noise and CO, and found that PTE is a promising potential treatment for injuries caused by these factors.

Assessment of hippocampal-related behavioral changes in adolescent rats of both sexes following voluntary intermittent ethanol intake and noise exposure: a putative underlying mechanism and implementation of a non-pharmacological preventive strategy

“…Despite the recent surge in high noise levels observed in major cities, its negative impact has frequently been overlooked. Estimates from the World Health Organization and European agency (European Environment Agency, 2020; WHO, 1999), based on scienti c evidence, showed that noise above an intensity of 65 dB -a level close to the minimum considered harmful (80 dB) -affects approximately 20% of the population and can cause various disorders (Berglund et al 2000;Li et al 2023b) that can affect both auditory structures (Cappaert et al, 2000;Hu and Zheng, 2008) and extra-auditory areas in the nervous, endocrine, and/or cardiovascular systems (Basner et al, 2014;de Souza et al, 2015;Spreng, 2000;Turner et al, 2005).…”

Assessment of Hippocampal-Related Behavioral Changes in Adolescent Rats of both Sexes Following Voluntary Intermittent Ethanol Intake and Noise Exposure: A Putative Underlying Mechanism and Implementation of a Non-pharmacological Preventive Strategy

“…Despite the recent surge in high noise levels observed in major cities, its negative impact has frequently been overlooked. Estimates from the World Health Organization and European agency (European Environment Agency, 2020; WHO, 1999), based on scienti c evidence, showed that noise above an intensity of 65 dB -a level close to the minimum considered harmful (80 dB) -affects approximately 20% of the population and can cause various disorders (Berglund et al 2000;Li et al 2023b) that can affect both auditory structures (Cappaert et al, 2000;Hu and Zheng, 2008) and extraauditory areas in the nervous, endocrine, and/or cardiovascular systems (Basner et al, 2014;de Souza et al, 2015;Spreng, 2000;Turner et al, 2005).…”