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High-Fat Diets Disturb Rat Epididymal Sperm Maturation
Lorena Ruiz-Valderrama1, José Edwin Mendoza-Sánchez2, Ernesto Rodríguez-Tobón1
1Departamento de Biología de la Reproducción, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Iztapalapa, Ciudad de México 09340, Mexico.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
|March 13, 2025
Summary
High-fat diets impair male fertility by negatively affecting sperm maturation and testosterone levels in rats. Obesity leads to reduced sperm viability and capacitation, impacting reproductive health.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Biology
- Endocrinology
- Toxicology
Background:
- Obesity is increasingly linked to human infertility.
- Spermatozoa production and maturation are crucial for male fertility.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of body adiposity on male fertility in Wistar rats.
- To assess effects on sperm parameters, epididymal maturation, and capacitation.
Main Methods:
- Rats fed control, 10% lard, or 60% lard diets for four weeks.
- Evaluated fertility, sperm parameters, epididymal maturation markers, and serum testosterone.
- Assessed sperm concentration, vitality, capacitation, carbohydrate distribution, and tyrosine phosphorylation.
Main Results:
- High-fat diets induced overweight/obesity and significantly impaired fertility.
- Obesity reduced sperm viability, capacitation, and epididymal maturation.
- Observed decreased testosterone levels, altered plasma membrane asymmetry, and carbohydrate distribution.
Conclusions:
- High-fat diets adversely affect male fertility by impairing sperm maturation in the epididymis.
- Obesity-induced changes in sperm parameters and hormones contribute to reduced male fertility.
- Findings have implications for understanding obesity-related infertility in humans.
