Mouse plasma progesterone levels are affected by different dietary ω6/ω3 ratios

An imbalance in the dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) ω6/ω3 ratio, could influence negatively the reproductive performance. The aim of the study was to assess the effects of chronic administration of diets enriched with soybean or sunflower oils with different ω6/ω3 ratios on the reproductive parameters of adult female mice. Mice were fed different diets for 90 days: a commercial diet (CD), a 5 or 10% soy oil-enriched diet (SOD5 and SOD10, respectively), and a 5 or 10% sunflower oil-enriched diet (SFOD5 and SFOD10, respectively). The parameters evaluated were: body weight and food intake, estrous cycle, plasma progesterone concentration, ovulation rate, and oocyte quality. Progesterone concentrations (ng/ml) were significantly higher in the SFOD10: 14.9±2.8 vs CD: 5.4±1.2; SOD5: 5.6±1.1 and SFOD5: 4.6±1.4. Additional parameters evaluated were not affected. However, metestrous and luteal phases were shorter in subjects receiving SOD and longer in those under SFOD diets. In SFOD, there was a trend towards a smaller number of recruited oocytes compared to CD and SOD and a higher percentage of cleaved oocytes were quantified in SOD diets. A 3-month supply of a diet with elevated LA ω6/ALA ω3 ratio to adult female mice affects their reproductive physiology, modifying progesterone production, ovulation rate, and/or oocyte quality. Although some differences in the response to diets have been observed in several mammalian species, the present findings must be taken into consideration when a diet for optimizing reproductive capability is indicated.