Molybdenum and cadmium co-induce necroptosis through Th1/Th2 imbalance-mediated endoplasmic reticulum stress in duck ovaries

Cadmium(Cd)and excess molybdenum(Mo)pose serious threats to animal health.Our previous study has determined that Cd and/or Mo exposure can cause ovarian damage of ducks,while the specific mechanism is still obscure.To further investigate the toxic mechanism of Cd and Mo co-exposure in the ovary,forty 8-day-old female ducks were randomly allocated into four groups for 16 weeks,and the doses of Cd and Mo in basic diet per kg were as follows:control group,Mo group(100 mg Mo),Cd group(4 mg Cd),and Mo+Cd group(100 mg Mo+4 mg Cd).Cadmium sulfate 8/3-hydrate(CdSO_(4)·8/3H_(2)O)and hexaammonium molybdate((NH_(4))_(6)Mo_(7)O_(24)·4H_(2)O)were the origins of Cd and Mo,respectively.At the 16th week of the experiment,all ovary tissues were collected for the detection of related indexes.The data indicated that Mo and/or Cd induced trace element disorders and Th1/Th2 balance to divert toward Th1 in the ovary,which activated endoplasmic reticulum(ER)stress and then provoked necroptosis through triggering RIPK1/RIPK3/MLKL signaling pathway,and eventually caused ovarian pathological injuries and necroptosis characteristics.The alterations of above indicators were most apparent in the joint group.Above all,this research illustrates that Mo and/or Cd exposure can initiate necroptosis through Th1/Th2 imbalance-modulated ER stress in duck ovaries,and Mo and Cd combined exposure aggravates ovarian injuries.This research explores the molecular mechanism of necroptosis caused by Mo and/or Cd,which reveals that ER stress attenuation may be a therapeutic target to alleviate necroptosis.