Dietary fatty acids influence sperm quality and function.
A Ferramosca1,2, N Moscatelli1,2, M Di Giacomo1
1Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche ed Ambientali, Università del Salento, Lecce, Italy.
Andrology
|March 24, 2017
Summary
Dietary fatty acids, like olive oil and krill oil, can improve sperm quality in rats fed a high-fat diet. Supplementation positively influences sperm motility, concentration, and energy metabolism, counteracting negative effects of obesity.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Biology
- Nutritional Science
- Metabolic Research
Background:
- Obesity is increasingly linked to male infertility.
- High-fat diets impair sperm quality by affecting gamete energy metabolism in animal models.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of dietary fatty acid supplementation on sperm energy metabolism and quality in rats fed a high-fat diet.
- To evaluate the potential of olive oil and krill oil to counteract diet-induced infertility.
Main Methods:
- Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed standard, high-fat, high-fat with olive oil, or high-fat with krill oil diets for 4 weeks.
- Evaluated liver/adipose tissue weight, plasma glucose/insulin/lipids, sperm enzyme activity, and mitochondrial respiration.
- Assessed sperm concentration, motility, and oxidative stress markers.
Main Results:
- Olive oil partially counteracted high-fat diet effects, improving motility, reducing oxidative stress, and enhancing mitochondrial respiration.
- Krill oil increased sperm concentration and motility, boosted key metabolic enzyme activities, elevated ATP levels, and reduced oxidative damage.
Conclusions:
- Dietary fatty acids, specifically monounsaturated (olive oil) and n-3 polyunsaturated (krill oil), can positively modulate sperm energy metabolism.
- Supplementation with these fatty acids shows potential for improving sperm quality and function in the context of a high-fat diet.
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