Protective Role of Chrysin against Mercury Chloride-Induced Testicular Damage via Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, Apoptosis, Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress, and Autophagy Pathways

The aim of this research was to examine the potential ameliorative effects of chrysin (CHR) against mercuric chloride (HgCl2)-induced testicular damage in rats. For this purpose, rats were divided into four groups: Control, CHR, HgCl2 and HgCl2 + CHR. HgCl2 was administered intraperitoneally at a dose of 1.23 mg/kg, and CHR was administered orally at a dose of 50 mg/kg for 7 days. Biochemical, molecular and immunohistochemical analyses were performed to determine the effect of treatment-mediated changes in the testicular tissue. Based on the results obtained in testicular tissue, administration of HgCl2 was observed to lower antioxidant markers, elevate malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, and increase inflammatory marker expression in rat testicular tissue. It also led to reduced testosterone levels. Additionally, there was a decrease in the expression of antiapoptotic B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) an apoptosis marker while the levels of Caspase-3 and Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) were found to be higher. The endoplasmic reticulum stress marker protein kinase R-like ER kinase (PERK) and the autophagy marker Beclin-1 showed strong immunoreactivity. Additionally, HgCl2 + CHR treatment were found to significantly reduce oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, endoplasmic reticulum stress and autophagy processes in testicular tissue. In conclusion, HgCl2 administration to rats caused testicular tissue damage compared to the other groups, but CHR treatment alleviated this damage. Overall, this demonstrates the potential ameliorative mechanisms of CHR as a possible agent for HgCl2-induced testicular damage. © The Author(s) 2026.