Abstract
Smoking is associated with a declining quality of semen. The aim of this study was to screen and investigate the differential expression of proteins extracted from the epididymis of mice exposed daily with cigarette smoke. Using MALDI-TOF-MS analysis, we found that the protein profile of the mouse epididymis was altered by cigarette smoking and identified 27 proteins from the most abundant and differentially expressed spots in the 2-DE gels of epididymal samples. These proteins were classified into groups according to their functions such as energy metabolism, reproduction and structural molecule activity. Through pathway analysis, these proteins were associated with the glutathione metabolism and protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum. These results showed that the epididymis may experience oxidative stress following cigarette smoke exposure, which was confirmed using immunohistochemistry. We determine that cigarette smoking can induce oxidative stress in the mouse epididymis, which may cause protein profile altering, thereby impairing epididymis function, and leading to a decline in semen quality.