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“Effect of Sunset Yellow on Testis: Molecular Evaluation, and Protective Role of Coenzyme Q10 in Male Sprague-Dawley Rats”

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Abstract

In recent years, Sunset Yellow (SY) has been widely used as a food additive, sparking debates about its potential toxicity. This research aims to investigate SY’s effects at both the molecular and histopathological levels, along with the protective benefits of Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) supplementation in male rat testes. Forty-two male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into six groups (n = 7) and given daily oral gavages for six weeks. The groups included: a low dose of Sunset Yellow (2.5 mg/kg/day), a high dose of Sunset Yellow (70 mg/kg/day), CoQ10 (10 mg/kg/day), CoQ10 with the low dose of Sunset Yellow, CoQ10 with the high dose of Sunset Yellow, and deionized water as a control. After anesthesia, the rats’ testes were removed for molecular and histological analysis. The findings showed a dose-dependent rise in the expression of oxidative stress genes (Sod, Gpx, and Cata) and a notable decrease in the expression of the steroidogenic acute regulatory (Star) gene (P value < 0.05) with increasing SY doses. Histological results supported these outcomes. Additionally, there was no significant distinction between rats treated with CoQ10 along with low doses of Sunset Yellow (CoQ10+LD) and control rats given low doses of Sunset Yellow (SY-LD). Conclusions: This study illustrates that SY, as an artificial food dye, has harmful effects on the male reproductive system, while the utilization of CoQ10 can alleviate the negative impacts of SY exposure.

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Data availability

All data are available in manuscript.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Ms. Firooze. Dara, Language Editor, for her valuable comments in editing this manuscript.

Author Contributions

All of the authors contributed substantially to the concept and design of the study. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by M.Da., M.Di., F.N., S.A., R.Sh, and Z.Kh. The primary draft of the manuscript was written by M.Da. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Funding

This work is supported by Shiraz University of Medical science.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Stem Cells Technology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

    Mahintaj Dara, Mehdi Dianatpour, Sanaz Alaee & Zahra khodabandeh

  2. Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Hakim Sabzevari University, Sabzevar, Iran

    Fatemeh Nazari

  3. Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

    Mehdi Dianatpour

  4. Anatomy Department, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

    Fatemeh Karimi

  5. Department of Reproductive Biology, School of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technologies, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

    Sanaz Alaee

  6. Department of Anatomy, School of Medical Sciences, Medicine, UNSW Sydney, PO Box 2052, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Reza Shirazi

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  1. Mahintaj Dara
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Correspondence to Zahra khodabandeh.

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Ethical Approval

The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of the Shiraz University of Medical Sciences reviewed and approved the protocols, which were in accordance with the National Institutes of Health’s Guidelines for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (IR.SUMS.AEC.1402.006).

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Dara, M., Nazari, F., Dianatpour, M. et al. “Effect of Sunset Yellow on Testis: Molecular Evaluation, and Protective Role of Coenzyme Q10 in Male Sprague-Dawley Rats”. Cell Biochem Biophys (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12013-024-01398-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12013-024-01398-3

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