Diet and exercise in an obese mouse fed a high-fat diet improve metabolic health and reverse perturbed sperm function

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Biology
• Metabolic Health
• Obesity Research

Background:

• Male obesity is linked to impaired sperm function, including reduced motility, poor morphology, increased DNA damage, and oxidative stress.
• The potential for reversing these obesity-induced sperm abnormalities through lifestyle interventions remains largely unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the reversibility of obesity-associated sperm physiology and function in mice following weight loss via diet and exercise.
• To determine the impact of diet and exercise interventions on metabolic parameters and sperm quality in obese mice.

Main Methods:

• Male C57BL6 mice were fed a control diet (CD) or high-fat diet (HFD) for 10 weeks.
• Following HFD, mice were allocated to diet alone, swimming exercise alone, or combined diet and exercise interventions for 8 weeks.
• Sperm parameters, adiposity, serum cholesterol, and glucose tolerance were assessed.

Main Results:

• Dietary intervention significantly reduced adiposity and serum cholesterol levels.
• Combined diet and exercise improved glucose tolerance.
• Both diet and/or exercise interventions improved sperm motility and morphology, while reducing sperm DNA damage, reactive oxygen species, and mitochondrial membrane potential.
• Sperm parameters strongly correlated with systemic metabolic markers (glycemia, insulin action, cholesterol).

Conclusions:

• This study provides the first evidence that diet and exercise can reverse obesity-induced sperm dysfunction in mice.
• Improvements in sperm quality were observed even with ongoing obesity, highlighting the efficacy of lifestyle interventions.
• Metabolic status, rather than adiposity alone, appears crucial for sperm function, suggesting combined lifestyle approaches for male subfertility.