{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,9]],"date-time":"2026-10-09T14:46:52Z","timestamp":1791557212107,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":57,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,1]],"date-time":"2025-01-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1735689600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>While ultraviolet C (UVC) radiation has beneficial applications, it can also pose risks to living organisms. Nevertheless, a detailed assessment of UVC radiation\u2019s effects on mammalian male reproductive physiology, including the underlying mechanisms and potential protective strategies, has not yet been accomplished. This study aimed to examine the critical roles of oxidative stress, autophagy, reproductive hormonal axis, and microRNAs in UVC-induced reproductive challenges in male rats. Semen, biochemical, molecular, and in silico analyses revealed significant dysregulation of testicular steroidogenesis, impaired spermatogenesis, deteriorated sperm quality, and altered reproductive hormonal profiles, which ultimately lead to a decline in fertility in male rats exposed to UVC radiation. Our data indicated that the suppression of autophagy, stimulation of gonadotropin-inhibiting hormone (GnIH), and alteration of microRNAs serve as key mediators of UVC-induced stress effects in mammalian reproduction, potentially contributing to male infertility. Targeting these pathways, particularly through pretreatment with hesperidin (HES), offers a promising strategy to counteract UVC-induced male infertility. In conclusion, the present findings emphasize the importance of understanding the molecular mechanisms behind UVC-induced male infertility and offer valuable insights into the protective mechanisms and prospective role of HES in safeguarding male reproductive health.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms26010316","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,1]],"date-time":"2025-01-01T11:24:19Z","timestamp":1735730659000},"page":"316","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Impact of Ultraviolet C Radiation on Male Fertility in Rats: Suppression of Autophagy, Stimulation of Gonadotropin-Inhibiting Hormone, and Alteration of miRNAs"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"26","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0003-6189-0764","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ahmed Mohamed","family":"Alahwany","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Animal Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Badr University in Cairo (BUC), Badr City 11829, Egypt"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1330-6311","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ahmed Hamed","family":"Arisha","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Animal Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Badr University in Cairo (BUC), Badr City 11829, Egypt"},{"name":"Department of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Adel","family":"Abdelkhalek","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Badr University in Cairo (BUC), Badr City 11829, Egypt"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tarek","family":"Khamis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Taku","family":"Miyasho","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Animal Biological Responses, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Rakuno Gakuen University, Ebetsu 069-8501, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Doaa","family":"Kirat","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"6","DOI":"10.1186\/s12302-021-00585-w","article-title":"Impact of environmental factors on human semen quality and male fertility: A narrative review","volume":"34","author":"Kumar","year":"2022","journal-title":"Environ. 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