Sertoli Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Orchestrate Cadmium-Induced Testicular Inflammation and Fibrosis - PubMed
5 hours ago
- #testicular fibrosis
- #extracellular vesicles
- #cadmium
- Cadmium (Cd) exposure impairs male reproductive health, causing testicular atrophy, spermatogenesis disruption, and fibrosis.
- Sertoli cell-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) play a key role in Cd-induced testicular injury by mediating intercellular communication.
- Cd triggers multi-modal programmed cell death (PCD) in Sertoli cells, releasing EVs enriched with damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) and mitochondrial components.
- These EVs activate testicular macrophages via the TLR4/NF-κB pathway, leading to a pro-inflammatory response.
- Activated macrophages stimulate fibroblast-mediated fibrosis through TGF-β/Smad signaling.
- The study identifies a Sertoli cell-EV-macrophage-fibroblast axis in Cd-induced testicular damage, offering potential therapeutic targets.