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| Author(s): |
Carla Dal Bianco Fernandez
Total Authors: 1
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| Document type: | Doctoral Thesis |
| Press: | Campinas, SP. |
| Institution: | Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Instituto de Biologia |
| Defense date: | 2011-02-25 |
| Examining board members: |
Wilma De Grava Kempinas;
Rejane Maira Góes;
Estela Sasso Cerri;
Arielle Cristina Arena;
Alexandre Leite Rodrigues de Oliveira
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| Advisor: | Wilma De Grava Kempinas |
| Abstract | |
Overweight and obesity are rapidly becoming a worldwide epidemic that affects children and adults. These two statuses are often defined simply as a condition of abnormal or excessive fat accumulation in adipose tissue, whose cells are responsible for synthesis and release of leptin. This is a protein hormone whose main action is to decrease appetite and increase energy expenditure, but it also act as regulatory signal for gonadal axis, among other functions. Serum leptin concentration is augmented in several obesity animal models and in obese human, proportionately to the amount of fat. Some studies have shown a relationship between obesity and male infertility, but until now it remains controversial. In the same way, the role of leptin on male reproductive function is not clear, mainly when the hormone is in excess as occur in obesity. Thus, the aims of the present study were to investigate the effects of high-fat diet-induced obesity on male rats' reproductive parameters. Furthermore it was evaluated the possible role of the excess of leptin on fertility and some sperm parameters in adult male rats. To achieve these aims, male Wistar rats were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) or standard chow (SD) for 15, 30 or 45 and were evaluated by adiposity index, serum leptin levels, reproductive organ weights and sperm counts. In a second experiment rats received HFD or SD only for 15 weeks, long enough to cause obesity. Sexual hormones, sexual behavior, sperm morphology and motility, fertility after natural mating and after artificial in utero insemination were evaluated. Moreover, non-obese adult male rats were treated with exogenous leptin ip (30?g/kg/day) or vehicle for 42 days and were evaluated for sperm count in testis and epididymis, sperm motility and fertility after in utero artificial insemination. After 15, 30 or 45 weeks, HFD-fed animals presented significant increases in obesity index and serum leptin levels. Reproductive organ weights and sperm counts in the testis and epididymis were similar between the two groups at all timepoints studied. In HFD-fed animals only for 15 weeks, sexual behavior and fertility after natural mating were not altered by the diet regimen. In these animals, intergroup testosterone levels were also comparable, but estradiol levels were increased in HDF rats. Furthermore, sperm quality was reduced in 15 weeks HFD-fed animals as evidenced by their decreased percentage of sperm with progressive movement. This altered motility parameter was followed by a quantitative reduction in fertility potential after artificial in utero insemination. Leptin treated animals did not show any differences in sperm counts either in the testis or epididymis. In the same way, the percentage of progressive, non-progressive and immotile sperm was similar between the two groups. However, the fertility potential showed a reduction of about 40% whereas the pre-implantation loss rate increased more than two fold in leptin treated animals. These results indicate that obesity lead to a decrease in sperm quality, impairing male fertility and probably the excess of leptin is related with this alteration of fertility (AU) | |