Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41833117›Full record

ArticlePoultry science2026

Natural astaxanthin enhances testosterone synthesis by improving mitochondrial function and reducing oxidative stress in Leydig cells.

Meng-Li Liu, Jia-Yu Wu, Xi-Hui Sheng, Ya-Xi Xu, Long-Fei Xiao, Xiang-Guo Wang, Zi-Li Lin, Cheng Long, Xiao-Long Qi

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Poultry science, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Meng-Li LiuAnimal Science and Technology College, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing 102206, China.
Jia-Yu WuAnimal Science and Technology College, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing 102206, China; Beijing Zoo, Beijing 100044, China.
Xi-Hui ShengAnimal Science and Technology College, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing 102206, China.
Ya-Xi XuAnimal Science and Technology College, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing 102206, China.
Long-Fei XiaoAnimal Science and Technology College, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing 102206, China.
Xiang-Guo WangAnimal Science and Technology College, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing 102206, China.
Zi-Li LinAnimal Science and Technology College, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing 102206, China.
Cheng LongAnimal Science and Technology College, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing 102206, China; Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2P5, Canada. Electronic address: cheng.long@bua.edu.cn.
Xiao-Long QiAnimal Science and Technology College, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing 102206, China. Electronic address: qixiaolong@bua.edu.cn.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of astaxanthin (ASTA) on testosterone synthesis and mitochondrial function in testicular Leydig cells of aging roosters. ASTA significantly enhanced Leydig cell viability (P < 0.05) and increased testosterone production at concentrations of 2.5-20 μg/mL (P < 0.05), with the optimal effect observed at 5 μg/mL (P < 0.01). At this concentration, ASTA significantly upregulated the mRNA and protein expression of key steroidogenic enzymes, steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR), cholesterol side-chain cleavage cytochrome (P450scc), 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD), 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17β-HSD) (P < 0.01), and steroidogenic factor-1 (SF-1) (P < 0.05). ASTA also significantly elevated the activities and mRNA expression of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) (P < 0.01), reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels (P < 0.05), and decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) content (P < 0.01). Furthermore, ASTA treatment significantly improved mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number (P < 0.01), increased the expression of mitochondrial biogenesis regulators peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PGC-1α), nuclear respiratory factor-1 (NRF1), and mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) (P < 0.01), and significantly suppressed apoptosis (P < 0.05), as evidenced by increased B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) expression (P < 0.01) and reduced expression of Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase-3 (caspase-3), and apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) (P < 0.01). These results indicate that ASTA enhances testosterone synthesis in aging rooster Leydig cells by reducing oxidative stress, improving mitochondrial function and biogenesis, upregulating steroidogenic genes, and inhibiting mitochondrial-related apoptosis.

Indexed as

ChickensLeydig CellsMitochondriaOxidative StressTestosteroneAnimalsAntioxidantsMaleXanthophyllsAntioxidantsastaxanthineTestosteroneXanthophyllsAntioxidant defenseAstaxanthinLeydig cellsMitochondrial functionTestosterone synthesis

Identifiers

PMID41833117
PMCPMC13000506

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.