Functional and Molecular Characterization of Melamine-Induced Disruption of Human Spermatozoa via Oxidative Stress and Apoptotic Pathways: An In Vitro Study.

ABSTRACT: Melamine, a nitrogen-rich industrial chemical, has raised increasing concern as an emerging environmental contaminant with potential reproductive toxicity. While its nephrotoxic effects are well established, the direct impact of melamine on human sperm remains poorly defined. In this study, we investigated the in vitro effects of melamine on human sperm, under both capacitating and non-capacitating conditions. Functional analyses revealed that the exposure to 0.8 mM melamine, the highest non-cytotoxic concentration in vitro, significantly compromised sperm motility and disrupted key capacitation processes, including tyrosine phosphorylation patterns, cholesterol efflux, and the acrosome reaction. Molecular assessments demonstrated melamine-induced mitochondrial dysfunction, characterized b

SUBMITTER: Luongo FP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12837316 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature