Single-cell RNA sequencing of nicotine-exposed testes reveals differences in cell proportion and transcription

We have conducted single-cell RNA sequencing using 10x Genomics scRNAseq to explore the biological effects of nicotine exposure on mice testes. Previous studies have shown that nicotine exposure can alter male fertility, whereas the molecular changes in testicular tissue remain elusive. Here, we demonstrated the effects of nicotine exposure on cell proportion and transcription in testes, providing new insights into the mechanisms by which smoking affects male fertility. Overall design: Three-week-old C57BL/6J male mice were divided into two groups: (1) Control group, which received normal drinking water; (2) Nicotine-exposed group, which received drinking water with 200 µg/mL nicotine for 8 weeks. Followed by treatment, single-cell RNA sequencing was performed on fresh, intact testes.