Arecoline Hydrobromide Promotes the Apoptosis of Male Germ Cells

Arecoline hydrobromide has been demonstrated to regulate cellular survival and male reproduction. However, the specific roles and regulated genes of arecoline hydrobromide in spermatogenesis are poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate the effects of arecoline hydrobromide on spermatogenesis and associated transcriptome changes. The spermatogenic cell line GC-1 cells were treated with arecoline hydrobromide to determine the effects of proliferation and apoptosis for arecoline hydrobromide in vitro. The ICR mice were treated with arecoline hydrobromide by intragastric administration. The testes and epididymis were used for sperm count, HE staining, apoptosis detection and transcriptome analysis. Cellular morphology was significantly altered and the number of apoptotic cells increased with increasing concentration and duration of arecoline hydrobromide treatment, and cell proliferation was inhibited. Animal experiments showed that the spermatozoa in the experimental groups were significantly reduced compared with that in the control group. Transcriptome sequencing was executed for testes of four-week arecoline hydrobromide treated mice, which identified 181 significant up-regulated genes and 159 significant down-regulated genes which were then analyzed with gene ontology (GO) and revealed some testicular development and hormone-related pathways. The results verified that arecoline hydrobromide inhibited the proliferation and promoted the apoptosis of GC-1 cells, and caused a decrease in the number of spermatozoa and an increase in level of testosterone in mice.