China Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Medicine ›› 2026, Vol. 53 ›› Issue (2): 587-597.doi: 10.16431/j.cnki.1671-7236.2026.02.007

• Review • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Mechanism of Ferroptosis and Its Research Advance in Animal Reproduction

ZHAO Mengran(), YANG Beibei, WANG Baihui, ZHU Zhen, MA Shuang()   

  1. College of Life Sciences and Food Engineering,Hebei University of Engineering,Handan 056000,China
  • Revised:2025-09-19 Online:2026-02-20 Published:2026-01-28
  • Contact: MA Shuang E-mail:18567797203@163.com;mashuang@hebeu.edu.cn

Abstract:

Oxidative injury of testes and ovaries, as well as excessive cellular apoptosis induced by animal reproductive system diseases, are profoundly associated with dysregulation of signaling pathways. Among these, iron metabolism exerts a critical role in the pathogenesis of animal reproductive diseases. As a regulated form of cell death driven by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation, ferroptosis is characterized by intracellular iron homeostasis imbalance, accumulation of lipid peroxides, and functional defects in the antioxidant system mediated by glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4). It is synergistically regulated primarily through the SystemXc--GSH-GPX4 axis, iron metabolism pathways (regulated by transferrin receptor 1, ferritin heavy chain, etc.), and lipid metabolism pathways (mediated by acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4, etc.). In the field of animal reproduction, ferroptosis exerts a significant impact on the reproductive functions of mammals (human, rodent, rabbit, etc.) and poultry. In males, it can induce testicular oxidative stress, damage to spermatogenic cells, and a decline in sperm quality. In females, it is closely associated with ovarian hypofunction, follicular atresia, oocyte maturation disorders, and abnormal embryonic development. Environmental pollutants (such as PM2.5 and microplastics), toxins (such as cadmium and zearalenone), and pathological factors can exacerbate reproductive damage by activating ferroptosis pathways. In contrast, ferroptosis inhibitors (Ferrostatin-1), iron chelators, and natural products (melatonin, Lycium barbarum polysaccharides, etc.) can alleviate related damage by regulating signaling pathways such as Nrf2/GPX4. This review systematically sort out the molecular regulatory mechanisms of ferroptosis, comprehensively summarize its roles in the reproductive systems of different types of animals and the related research progress, and in-depth analyze the mechanism of ferroptosis as well as its mitigation approaches. It is expected to provide a novel target for deciphering the pathological mechanisms of animal reproductive diseases and improving reproductive performance, and lay a theoretical foundation for the research and development of prevention and control strategies for reproductive disorders in animal husbandry.

Key words: ferroptosis; mammals; poultry; ferroptosis inhibitors

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