Melatonin ameliorates RF-EMR-induced reproductive damage by inhibiting ferroptosis through Nrf2 pathway activation
Wang J, Dong J, Xu Q, Yan S, Wang H, Lei H, Ma X, Yang T, Wang K, Li Z, Wang X · 2025
Melatonin may protect against RF-EMR-induced reproductive damage in male mice by inhibiting ferroptosis through activation of the Nrf2 antioxidant pathway.
Plain English Summary
This study investigated whether melatonin could protect against reproductive damage caused by radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation (RF-EMR) exposure in male mice. The researchers found that 8 weeks of RF-EMR exposure (2.45 GHz) induced ferroptosis and oxidative stress in testicular tissue, reducing sperm quality, but melatonin administration mitigated these effects by activating the Nrf2 signaling pathway.
Why This Matters
Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent form of regulated cell death distinct from apoptosis, increasingly studied as a mechanism of cellular damage from oxidative stress. The Nrf2 pathway is a well-established cellular defense mechanism that regulates antioxidant response genes.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.
Show BibTeX
@article{wang_j_dong_j_xu_q_yan_s_wang_h_lei_h_ma_x_yang_t_wang_k_li_z_wang_x_ce2636,
author = {Wang J and Dong J and Xu Q and Yan S and Wang H and Lei H and Ma X and Yang T and Wang K and Li Z and Wang X},
title = {Melatonin ameliorates RF-EMR-induced reproductive damage by inhibiting ferroptosis through Nrf2 pathway activation},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1038/s41586-025-09422-z},
}