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Does the male reproductive performance depend on the early lactation milk in rats?
C P Carlos1, I P Lemonica, W de Grava Kempinas
1Department of Pharmacology, São Paulo State University, Brazil.
Insights
Early lactation milk (ELM) is crucial for male rat reproductive development. Deprivation of ELM negatively impacts fertility and reproductive organ health, with gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) playing a role.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Biology
- Developmental Biology
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Early lactation milk (ELM) is a critical source of nutrients and signaling molecules for neonatal development.
- The role of ELM in male reproductive system maturation and the involvement of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) remain incompletely understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of early lactation milk (ELM) deprivation on male Wistar rat reproductive performance.
- To determine the potential involvement of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) in mediating the effects of ELM on male reproductive development.
Main Methods:
- Newborn male Wistar rats were divided into three groups: ELM-deprived, ELM-deprived with exogenous GnRH treatment, and control (non-ELM-deprived).
- Reproductive performance, organ weights (vas deferens, seminal vesicle), and seminal vesicle/prostate fructose levels were assessed in adulthood.
Main Results:
- ELM-deprived adult male rats showed significantly reduced fertility compared to controls.
- Deprivation of ELM led to decreased weights of the vas deferens and seminal vesicles.
- Reduced fructose levels were observed in the seminal vesicles and prostate glands of ELM-deprived rats.
Conclusions:
- Neonatal intake of early lactation milk is essential for normal male rat sexual development and reproductive function.
- Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) appears to be involved in the mechanisms by which ELM influences later reproductive success.
Abstract:
This study investigated the role of the early lactation milk (ELM) on the male reproductive performance and the participation of GnRH on this effect in Wistar rats. Newborn males were divided into three experimental groups: 1) ELM-deprived pups, 2) ELM-deprived pups treated with exogenous GnRH 1, 7, 25, and 31 h after birth, and 3) non-ELM-deprived and without exogenous GnRH. In relation to the other two groups, the ELM-deprived male rats exhibited as adults: reduced fertility, decreased weight of both vas deferens and seminal vesicle, and reduced levels of fructose in the seminal vesicle and prostate gland. We suggest that the intake of ELM during the neonatal period is important to the later sexual development of rats, and that GnRH is somehow involved in such an effect.