Chronic psychological stress induces testicular oxidative stress affecting reproductive behavior in rats

The inhibitory effect of chronic psychological stress on reproductive behavior is widely recognized since long. However, the biological mechanisms underlying these effects, especially the cellular biology of the testicular cells, have not been fully investigated. This study aimed to investigate the effects of chronic psychological stress on rat reproductive behavior and its correlation with testicular cell damage and oxidative stress. The results showed that chronic psychological stress led to a decline in the preference scores of male rats for female rats and caused damage to the testicular tissue structure. Subcellular structures were particularly affected in the chronic psychological stress rats. Furthermore, the levels of MDA, NO, and NOS in testicular cells substantially increased under chronic psychological stress conditions. In conclusion, male reproductive behavioral disorders induced by chronic psychological stress are potentially linked to oxidative damage in testicular tissue. [Display omitted] •Chronic psychological stress led to a decrease in sexual motivation and reduced reproductive behavior in rats.•Compared to normal rats, the testicular tissue of CUMS rats suffered severe damage.•Subcellular organelle damage was observed in testicular cells induced by chronic stress.•Oxidative stress in testicular tissue may be linked with reduced sexual behavior and testicular cell damage in CUMS rats.