Baicalin protects sertoli cells from heat stress-induced apoptosis via activation of the Fas/FasL pathway and Hsp72 expression.

Certain Chinese herbal medicines have antipyretic effects in both animal and human clinical practice. However, no report indicates their antipyretic effects on heat-stressed cells. The present study aimed to identify the protective effects of baicalin on the apoptosis of primary cultured bovine sertoli cells (SCs) subjected to heat stress (HS). The results demonstrated that HS induced apoptosis in the SCs exposed to 43°C for 1h as Fas/FasL was activated and caspase-3 was cleaved, the cells apoptotic rate was decreased. Moreover, the mRNA and protein levels of Hsp72 increased, whereas the cells apoptotic rate and expression of Fas, FasL, caspases 8 and 3 decreased in the SCs pretreated with various concentrations (0.1, 1, 10, 20μg/mL) of baicalin prior to HS. In conclusion, baicalin ameliorates heat stress-induced cell apoptosis via the modulation of the cell survival rate through Fas/FasL pathway activation and the upregulation of Hsp72 expression in bovine SCs.