Rutin attenuates H₂O₂-induced oxidation damage and apoptosis in Leydig cells by activating PI3K/Akt signal pathways

Oxidative stress is a primary factor in the pathology of male infertility. The strong antioxidative capacity of rutin has been proven by numerous studies, but a protective role in the context of male reproduction remains to be elucidated. To explore the biological role of rutin in protecting male reproductive function and the potential underlying mechanism, H₂O₂-induced Leydig cells were used as a cell model of oxidation damage. Our findings showed that rutin at concentrations of 10, 20, and 40 μmol/L remarkably increased cell survival rate of H₂O₂-induced Leydig cells to 70.1%, 86.8%, and 80.3% respectively. Next, rutin with concentrations of 10, 20, and 40 μmol/L decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels but increased the levels of glutathione (GSH) and testosterone in H₂O₂-induced Leydig cells. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) were remarkably increased by rutin treatment with concentrations of 20 and 40 μmol/L, but glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity was notably decreased. Moreover, rutin with concentrations of 10, 20, and 40 μmol/L increased Bcl-2 protein levels but decreased protein levels of Bax and caspase-3. Furthermore, 20 μmol/L rutin significantly abrogated the decrease in levels of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) and phosphorylated serine/threonine kinase (p-AKT) induced by H₂O₂. Pretreatment with LY294002, a PI3K inhibitor, antagonized protective action of 20 μmol/L rutin against H₂O₂-induced cell activities, intracellular oxidant, testosterone, antioxidant enzyme activities, and the apoptosis related protein expression. Taken together, these results suggest that rutin attenuates H₂O₂-induced oxidation damage and apoptosis in Leydig cells by activating PI3K/Akt signal pathways, providing a promising strategy to decrease oxidative stress associated with male infertility.