Gold Nanoclusters Inhibit the Male Reproductive Toxicity of Cu²⁺

An increasing number of environmental pollutants cause adverse reproductive health effects, such as sperm quantity and quality decreasing, subfertility, or infertility, changing the birth sex ratio. Heavy metals are major agricultural soil pollutants with toxicity, ubiquity, and non-biodegradability properties, which are threatening human health. Excess copper (Cu) caused decrease in spermatozoa concentration, viability, and motility on male reproductive functions. Therefore, it is important and essential to develop a method to remediate the male reproductive toxicity effect of Cu. Here, we established a Cu2+-induced male reproductive toxicity mouse model. Then, we synthesized bovine serum albumin-stabilized gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) with 2–4 nm size, which could adsorb Cu2+ specifically. The biocompatible AuNCs could reduce the male reproductive toxicity effect of Cu2+ in vitro and in vivo. The results indicated the AuNCs might be useful for remediating the toxicity of Cu2+ in clinical treatment, which provided a therapy strategy for remediating the toxicity of other heavy metals.