Aflatoxins B1 (AFB1) a dangerous type of aflatoxin, poses a serious threat to human health. Meanwhile, Taraxasterol, a bioactive compound in dandelion, exhibits strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the impact of AFB1 on the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways of apoptosis, as well as evaluate the protective role of taraxasterol in the TM3 Leydig cell line. Cell viability was evaluated using an MTT assay, measuring the effects of 3.6 µM AFB1 and varying concentrations of taraxasterol. Expression levels of Caspase 3,8, and 9 were analyzed with RT-qPCR, and flow cytometry was used to assess cell cycle progression and apoptotic alterations. The findings of this study demonstrated that exposure to 3.6 µM of AFB1 resulted in an upregulation of Caspase 3 and Caspase 9 expression, indicating an activation of apoptotic pathways in TM3 cells. Additionally, the analysis of apoptosis revealed a significant increase in cellular apoptosis at this AFB1 concentration. However, when TM3 cells were exposed to 5 µM of taraxasterol, a downregulation of Caspase 3 and Caspase 9 expression was observed, suggesting a protective effect against apoptosis. Moreover, the apoptotic rate in TM3 cells was reduced in the presence of 5 µM of taraxasterol. Consequently, this study highlights the potential of taraxasterol as a protective agent against AFB1-induced apoptosis and suggest its potential application in regulating cell survival and apoptosis-related processes. Further investigations are necessary to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and evaluate the clinical implications of taraxasterol in the context of fertility disorders and other conditions associated with AFB1 exposure.

中文翻译：

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黄曲霉毒素B1与诱导外源性/内源性细胞凋亡的关系及蒲公英甾醇对TM3间质细胞系的保护作用

黄曲霉毒素B1（AFB1）是一种危险的黄曲霉毒素，对人类健康构成严重威胁。同时，蒲公英中的生物活性化合物蒲公英甾醇具有很强的抗炎和抗氧化活性。因此，本研究的目的是探讨AFB1对细胞凋亡内在和外在途径的影响，并评估蒲公英甾醇对TM3 Leydig细胞系的保护作用。使用 MTT 测定评估细胞活力，测量 3.6 µM AFB1 和不同浓度的蒲公英甾醇的效果。使用 RT-qPCR 分析 Caspase 3,8 和 9 的表达水平，并使用流式细胞术评估细胞周期进展和凋亡改变。这项研究的结果表明，暴露于 3.6 µM AFB1 会导致 Caspase 3 和 Caspase 9 表达上调，表明 TM3 细胞中凋亡途径的激活。此外，细胞凋亡分析表明，在此 AFB1 浓度下，细胞凋亡显着增加。然而，当 TM3 细胞暴露于 5 µM 蒲公英甾醇时，观察到 Caspase 3 和 Caspase 9 表达下调，表明对细胞凋亡有保护作用。此外，5 µM 蒲公英甾醇存在时，TM3 细胞的凋亡率降低。因此，这项研究强调了蒲公英甾醇作为抗 AFB1 诱导的细胞凋亡保护剂的潜力，并表明其在调节细胞存活和细胞凋亡相关过程中的潜在应用。有必要进行进一步的研究来阐明其潜在机制并评估蒲公英甾醇在生育障碍和其他与 AFB1 暴露相关的疾病中的临床意义。