Testicular toxicity of Aroclor 1254 in selenium-deficient and selenium-supplemented rats

Pınar Erkekoğlu; Aylin Balcı-Özyurt; Naciye Dilara Zeybek; Hülya Tezel-Yalçın; Ünzile Yaman; Gizem Yildiztekin; Sevtap Aydın-Dilsiz; Murat Kızılgün; Evin İşcan; Tuğçe Batur; Mehmet Öztürk; Oğuz Han Edebal; Nurşen Başaran; Belma Koçer-Gumusel

doi:10.2478/aiht-2026-77-4027

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Testicular toxicity of Aroclor 1254 in selenium-deficient and selenium-supplemented rats

Archives of Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology

Volume 77 (2026): Issue 2 (June 2026)

By: Pınar Erkekoğlu , Aylin Balcı-Özyurt, Naciye Dilara Zeybek, Hülya Tezel-Yalçın, Ünzile Yaman, Gizem Yildiztekin, Sevtap Aydın-Dilsiz, Murat Kızılgün, Evin İşcan, Tuğçe Batur, Mehmet Öztürk, Oğuz Han Edebal, Nurşen Başaran and Belma Koçer-Gumusel

Open Access

|Jun 2026

Figures & Tables

Mean (±SD) body weights (A) and body weight gain in the first week (B) and the last 14 days (C) of treatment. a, b Bars that do not share same superscript letters are significantly different (p<0.05). A – Aroclor 1254 group receiving 0.15 mg/kg/day of Se for 5 weeks and 10 mg/kg/day of Aroclor 1254 in corn oil for the last 15 days; ASeD – Se-deficient group receiving Aroclor 1254 as described above.; ASeS –Se-supplemented group receiving Aroclor 1254 as described above; Control – group receiving 0.15 mg/kg/day of Se for 5 weeks; SeD – Se-deficient group receiving 0.50 mg/kg/day of Se for 5 weeks; SeS – Se-supplemented group receiving 1 mg selenium/kg/day for 5 weeks

Mean (A) and relative (B) testis weights in our study groups. a, b, c Bars that do not share same superscript letters are significantly different (p<0.05). A – Aroclor 1254 group receiving 0.15 mg/kg/day of Se for 5 weeks and 10 mg/kg/day of Aroclor 1254 in corn oil for the last 15 days; ASeD – Se-deficient group receiving Aroclor 1254 as described above.; ASeS –Se-supplemented group receiving Aroclor 1254 as described above; Control – group receiving 0.15 mg/kg/day of Se for 5 weeks; SeD – Se-deficient group receiving 0.50 mg/kg/day of Se for 5 weeks; SeS – Se-supplemented group receiving 1 mg selenium/kg/day for 5 weeks

Histopathological changes in the study groups: seminiferous tubules with normal morphology in control (A), SeS (B), SeD (C) and ASeS (E) groups; prominent degeneration of seminiferous epithelium in A1254 (D) and ASeD groups (F) (haematoxylin-eosin, 200× magnification). A1254 – Aroclor 1254 group receiving 0.15 mg/kg/day of Se for 5 weeks and 10 mg/kg/day of Aroclor 1254 in corn oil for the last 15 days; ASeD – Se-deficient group receiving Aroclor 1254 as described above.; ASeS –Se-supplemented group receiving Aroclor 1254 as described above; Control – group receiving 0.15 mg/kg/day of Se for 5 weeks; SeD – Se-deficient group receiving 0.50 mg/kg/day of Se for 5 weeks; SeS – Se-supplemented group receiving 1 mg selenium/kg/day for 5 weeks

TUNEL-positive (apoptotic) cells in seminiferous tubules of A) control; B) SeS; C) SeD; D) A1254; E) ASeS; and F) ASED group indicated by arrows (400× magnification) and G) mean (±SD) apoptotic cell counts across the groups. a, b, c, d Bars that do not share same superscript letters are significantly different (p<0.05). A – Aroclor 1254 group receiving 0.15 mg/kg/day of Se for 5 weeks and 10 mg/kg/day of Aroclor 1254 in corn oil for the last 15 days; ASeD – Se-deficient group receiving Aroclor 1254 as described above.; ASeS – Se-supplemented group receiving Aroclor 1254 as described above; Control – group receiving 0.15 mg/kg/day of Se for 5 weeks; SeD – Se-deficient group receiving 0.50 mg/kg/day of Se for 5 weeks; SeS – Se-supplemented group receiving 1 mg selenium/kg/day for 5 weeks

Sperm images across the A) control; B) SeS; C) SeD; D) A1254; E) ASeS; and F) ASeD group. A – Aroclor 1254 group receiving 0.15 mg/kg/day of Se for 5 weeks and 10 mg/kg/day of Aroclor 1254 in corn oil for the last 15 days; ASeD – Se-deficient group receiving Aroclor 1254 as described above.; ASeS – Se-supplemented group receiving Aroclor 1254 as described above; Control – group receiving 0.15 mg/kg/day of Se for 5 weeks; SeD – Se-deficient group receiving 0.50 mg/kg/day of Se for 5 weeks; SeS – Se-supplemented group receiving 1 mg selenium/kg/day for 5 weeks

Mean sperm count (A) and viability (B) across the study groups. a, b, c Bars that do not share same superscript letters are significantly different (p<0.05). A – Aroclor 1254 group receiving 0.15 mg/kg/day of Se for 5 weeks and 10 mg/kg/day of Aroclor 1254 in corn oil for the last 15 days; ASeD – Se-deficient group receiving Aroclor 1254 as described above.; ASeS – Se-supplemented group receiving Aroclor 1254 as described above; Control – group receiving 0.15 mg/kg/day of Se for 5 weeks; SeD – Se-deficient group receiving 0.50 mg/kg/day of Se for 5 weeks; SeS – Se-supplemented group receiving 1 mg selenium/kg/day for 5 weeks

Mean prevalence of sperms with abnormal tails (%) across the study groups. a, b, c, d Bars that do not share same superscript letters are significantly different (p<0.05). A – Aroclor 1254 group receiving 0.15 mg/kg/day of Se for 5 weeks and 10 mg/kg/day of Aroclor 1254 in corn oil for the last 15 days; ASeD – Se-deficient group receiving Aroclor 1254 as described above.; ASeS – Se-supplemented group receiving Aroclor 1254 as described above; Control – group receiving 0.15 mg/kg/day of Se for 5 weeks; SeD – Se-deficient group receiving 0.50 mg/kg/day of Se for 5 weeks; SeS – Se-supplemented group receiving 1 mg selenium/kg/day for 5 weeks

Mean oestradiol (A) and testosterone (B) levels across the study groups. a, b, c Bars that do not share same superscript letters are significantly different (p<0.05). A – Aroclor 1254 group receiving 0.15 mg/kg/day of Se for 5 weeks and 10 mg/kg/day of Aroclor 1254 in corn oil for the last 15 days; ASeD – Se-deficient group receiving Aroclor 1254 as described above.; ASeS – Se-supplemented group receiving Aroclor 1254 as described above; Control – group receiving 0.15 mg/kg/day of Se for 5 weeks; SeD – Se-deficient group receiving 0.50 mg/kg/day of Se for 5 weeks; SeS – Se-supplemented group receiving 1 mg selenium/kg/day for 5 weeks

Western blot for two samples of p21 and p53 proteins for each study group. A – Aroclor 1254 group receiving 0.15 mg/kg/day of Se for 5 weeks and 10 mg/kg/day of Aroclor 1254 in corn oil for the last 15 days; ASeD – Se-deficient group receiving Aroclor 1254 as described above.; ASeS – Se-supplemented group receiving Aroclor 1254 as described above; Control – group receiving 0.15 mg/kg/day of Se for 5 weeks; HepG2 – positive control cells; SeD – Se-deficient group receiving 0.50 mg/kg/day of Se for 5 weeks; SeS – Se-supplemented group receiving 1 mg selenium/kg/day for 5 weeks

Caspase-3 and caspase-8 activities across the study groups

	Caspase-3 (µmol p-NA/min/mg protein)	Caspase-8 (nmol p-NA/min/mg protein)
Control	23.57±0.18^a	9.21±0.01^a
SeS	17.51±0.68^a	9.25±0.01^a
SeD	25.29±0.11^a	11.65±0.01^b
A	31.74±1.98^b	9.17±0.23^a
ASeS	22.18±1.31^a	8.96±0.01^a
ASeD	33.48±1.48^b	12.04±0.20^b

Sperm morphologies across the study groups

	Control	SeS	SeD	A	ASeS	ASeD
Normal sperm (%)	71.43	82.69	48.40	28.06	54.65	26.91
Sperms without tail (%)	1.75	0.43	0.99	2.36	0.96	3.79
Sperms without head (%)	5.75	4.30	8.13	12.60	10.39	23.64
Sperms with rudimentary tail (%)	0.48	0.00	0.37	1.84	1.58	3.92
Sperms with curved tail (%)	14.37	6.13	10.96	46.49	25.62	34.49
Sperms with bend mid-piece (%)	0.87	1.94	2.71	1.18	1.96	3.21
Sperms with coiled tail (%)	5.24	1.83	5.30	7.48	4.84	4.05
Sperms with curved mid-piece (%)	0.12	2.69	23.15	0.00	0.00	0.00
Sperms with swapped tail (%)	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
Total N of abnormal sperm (%)	28.57	17.31	51.60	59.95	45.35	73.09
Total N of sperm (%)	100	100	100	100	100	100

Antioxidant enzyme activities; antioxidant, lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation, and selenoprotein P levels and total antioxidant capacity in the study groups

	GPx1 (U/mg protein)	TrxR (U/mg protein)	SOD (U/mg protein)	CAT (nmol/min/mg protein)	GSH (nmol/mg protein)	MDA (nmol/mg protein)	Carbonyl groups (nmol/mg protein)	TAOC (nmol/mg protein)	SePP (ng/µg protein)
Control	0.12±0.01^a	0.19±0.02^a	0.13±0.01^a	3.71±0.22 ^ac	3.32±0.24^a	1.42±0.04^a	0.72±0.04^a	25.27±0.60^a	7.25±0.64^a
SeS	0.14±0.01^a	0.25±0.01^b	0.14±0.02^a	4.04±0.26^a	3.67±0.14^a	1.34±0.15^a	0.63±0.08^a	26.69±1.46^a	8.59±1.65^a
SeD	0.06±0.01^b	0.12±0.02^c	0.11±0.01^a	2.97±0.15^c	1.75±0.04^b	1.55±0.07^a	0.75±0.04^a	26.15±0.53^a	4.31±0.74^b
A	0.10± 0.01^c	0.15±0.02^c	0.10±0.02^b	1.95±0.59^b	1.21±0.11^c	1.95±0.09^b	0.93±0.09^b	24.52±0.66^a	4.10±1.04^b
ASeS	0.13±0.01^a	0.19±0.02^a	0.12±0.01^a	3.75±0.2^ac	3.31±0.10^a	1.61±0.05^a	0.83±0.08^a	25.21±0.35^a	4.24±1.08^b
ASeD	0.08±0.02^d	0.11±0.02^c	0.09±0.01^b	2.10±0.19^bc	1.06±0.04^c	2.01±0.07^b	0.97±0.03^b	20.93±1.68^b	3.62±0.40^b

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/aiht-2026-77-4027 | Journal eISSN: 1848-6312 | Journal ISSN: 0004-1254

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Language: English

Page range: 102 - 113

Submitted on: Jul 1, 2025

Accepted on: May 1, 2026

Published on: Jun 30, 2026

Published by: Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health

In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services

Keywords:

apoptosis,

oxidative stress,

polychlorinated biphenyls,

Se,

sperm

Related subjects:

Medicine,

Basic medical science,

Basic medical science, other

© 2026 Pınar Erkekoğlu, Aylin Balcı-Özyurt, Naciye Dilara Zeybek, Hülya Tezel-Yalçın, Ünzile Yaman, Gizem Yildiztekin, Sevtap Aydın-Dilsiz, Murat Kızılgün, Evin İşcan, Tuğçe Batur, Mehmet Öztürk, Oğuz Han Edebal, Nurşen Başaran, Belma Koçer-Gumusel, published by Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Volume 77 (2026): Issue 2 (June 2026)

Testicular toxicity of Aroclor 1254 in selenium-deficient and selenium-supplemented rats

Figures & Tables

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Caspase-3 and caspase-8 activities across the study groups

Sperm morphologies across the study groups

Antioxidant enzyme activities; antioxidant, lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation, and selenoprotein P levels and total antioxidant capacity in the study groups

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