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Dong J, Tong X, Xu J, Pan M, Wang L, Xu F, Wang Y, Li L, Wang T. Metformin improves obesity-related oligoasthenospermia via regulating the expression of HSL in testis in mice. Eur J Pharmacol 2024; 968:176388. [PMID: 38367685 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2024.176388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
Researches have proposed that obesity might contribute to development of oligoasthenospermia. This study was performed to confirm whether obesity contributes to oligoasthenospermia as well as the underlying mechanisms in mice fed with a high fat diet (HFD). Meanwhile, the actions of metformin, a drug of well-known weight-lowering effect, on sperm quality in obese mice were investigated. Our results showed that HFD feeding reduced sperm quality and steroid hormone levels in mice, associated with disruptions in testicular histomorphology and spermatogenesis. Moreover, obesity increased sperm apoptosis. These effects could be prevented by metformin treatment in HFD-fed mice. Mechanistically, an increasement in lipid contents associated with decreased hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) protein expression in testes in HFD-fed mice was observed, which could be improved by metformin treatment. Then, the model of TM4 mouse Sertoli cells stimulated with palmitic acid (PA) was used to investigate the potential effect of lipid retention on testicular apoptosis and sperm quality reduction. In consistent, PA exposure elevated lipid contents as well as apoptosis in TM4 cells, which could also be improved by metformin treatment. Of note, the protein expression of HSL was reduced stimulated by PA in TM4 cells, also rescued by metformin. Then, anti-apoptosis effect of metformin would be lost with the deficiency of HSL. In summary, our study propose that obesity contributes to oligoasthenospermia by increasing sperm apoptosis induced by impaired lipid hydrolysis due to HSL down-regulation, which could be prevented with metformin treatment via regulating the expression of HSL in testis in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinhui Dong
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, 230012, China
| | - Xiaohui Tong
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, 230012, China
| | - Jing Xu
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, 230012, China
| | - Min Pan
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, 230012, China
| | - Lei Wang
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, 230012, China
| | - Fei Xu
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, 230012, China
| | - Yajuan Wang
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, 230012, China
| | - Li Li
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, 230012, China.
| | - Tongsheng Wang
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, 230012, China.
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