{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,1]],"date-time":"2026-04-01T18:06:18Z","timestamp":1775066778215,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":27,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,2]],"date-time":"2025-04-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1743552000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100017957","name":"Health Commission of Guizhou Province","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["gzwjkj2023\u2013413"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["gzwjkj2023\u2013413"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100017957","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"name":"The Zunyi Science and Technology Fund","award":["HZ\uff082023\uff09238"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["HZ\uff082023\uff09238"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS ONE"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec024\">\n<jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>To explore the underlying mechanism behind the fine particulate matter\u2019s (PM2.5)-mediated regulation of reproductive function in male rats, and to determine the role of vitamins in this process.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec025\">\n<jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>In all, 32 male <jats:italic>SD<\/jats:italic> rats were randomized to a control cohort (normal saline), a Vit cohort (vitamin C at 100\u2009mg\/kg +\u2009 vitamin E at 50\u2009mg\/kg), a PM2.5 cohort (PM2.5 10\u2009mg\/kg), and a PM2.5\u2009+\u2009Vit cohort (PM2.5 exposure +\u2009 vitamin C at 100\u2009mg\/kg +\u2009 vitamin E at 50\u2009mg\/kg), with eight rats in each cohort. After four weeks of exposure, mating experiments were carried out. Thereafter, rats were euthanized, and the testis and epididymis tissues were excised for hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and sperm quality analysis. Apoptosis of testis tissues was quantified via a terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. Moreover, the testicular oxidative stress (OS)-, apoptosis- and mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPR<jats:sup>mt<\/jats:sup>)-related essential protein expressions were measured via western blotting (WB).<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec026\">\n<jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>After PM2.5 exposure, the sperm count and motility decreased, while sperm abnormality and the apoptosis index increased. HE staining showed that the number of spermatogenic cells decreased. WB showed that the PM2.5 group had decreased expressions of superoxide dismutase (SOD), nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), and B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) (<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic> &lt;\u2009 0.05), increased expressions of malondialdehyde (MDA), Bcl-2 associated X protein (Bax), and Caspase3 (<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic> &lt;\u2009 0.05), and downregulated expressions of C\/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), heat shock protein 60 (HSP60), and activating transcription factor 5 (ATF5) (<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic> &lt;\u2009 0.05). These were all reversed by vitamin intervention.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec027\">\n<jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>PM2.5 from automobile exhaust disrupts male reproductive function. A combination of vitamins may protect reproductive function via the reactive oxygen species (ROS)-UPR<jats:sup>mt<\/jats:sup> signaling pathway.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0313803","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,2]],"date-time":"2025-04-02T23:13:49Z","timestamp":1743635629000},"page":"e0313803","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["PM2.5 from automobile exhaust induces apoptosis in male rat germ cells via the ROS-UPR\nmt\n signaling pathway"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"20","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0006-6705-3950","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Cao","family":"Wang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Yingchi","family":"Zhao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Bin","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Zhen","family":"Luo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Guangxu","family":"Zhou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Kaiyi","family":"Mao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,2]]},"reference":[{"key":"pone.0313803.ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"570872","DOI":"10.3389\/fimmu.2020.570872","article-title":"Prokineticin 2 via calcium-sensing receptor activated NLRP3 inflammasome pathway in the testicular macrophages of uropathogenic escherichia coli-induced orchitis","volume":"11","author":"Y Su","year":"2020","journal-title":"Front Immunol"},{"issue":"12","key":"pone.0313803.ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e32385","DOI":"10.1016\/j.heliyon.2024.e32385","article-title":"Exploring the association between ambient air pollution and COVID-19 risk: a comprehensive meta-analysis with meta-regression modelling","volume":"10","author":"HA Musonye","year":"2024","journal-title":"Heliyon"},{"issue":"19","key":"pone.0313803.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1164","DOI":"10.1080\/15287394.2014.917445","article-title":"The effect of composition, size, and solubility on acute pulmonary injury in rats following exposure to Mexico city ambient particulate matter samples","volume":"77","author":"SJ Snow","year":"2014","journal-title":"J Toxicol Environ Health A"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0313803.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"425","DOI":"10.1002\/ejhf.1320","article-title":"Treating oxidative stress in heart failure: past, present and future","volume":"21","author":"A van der Pol","year":"2019","journal-title":"Eur J Heart Fail"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0313803.ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"409","DOI":"10.1534\/genetics.119.302947","article-title":"FSHR-1\/GPCR regulates the mitochondrial unfolded protein response in caenorhabditis elegans","volume":"214","author":"S Kim","year":"2020","journal-title":"Genetics"},{"issue":"19","key":"pone.0313803.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"eaax9093","DOI":"10.1126\/sciadv.aax9093","article-title":"Pharmacological modulation of mitochondrial calcium uniporter controls lung inflammation in cystic fibrosis","volume":"6","author":"A Rimessi","year":"2020","journal-title":"Sci Adv"},{"issue":"15","key":"pone.0313803.ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2037","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cub.2016.06.002","article-title":"The transcription factor ATF5 mediates a mammalian mitochondrial UPR","volume":"26","author":"CJ Fiorese","year":"2016","journal-title":"Curr Biol"},{"key":"pone.0313803.ref008","unstructured":"Zhao Q, Wang J Fau - Levichkin IV, Levichkin Iv Fau - Stasinopoulos S, Stasinopoulos S Fau - Ryan MT, Ryan Mt Fau - Hoogenraad NJ, Hoogenraad NJ. 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