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Ramírez ND, Luque EM, Jones XM, Torres PJ, Moreira Espinoza MJ, Cantarelli V, Ponzio MF, Arja A, Rabaglino MB, Martini AC. Modulatory effects of ghrelin on sperm quality alterations induced by a fructose-enriched diet. Heliyon 2019; 5:e02886. [PMID: 31844755 PMCID: PMC6895644 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e02886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2019] [Revised: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The objectives of this study were: 1) to evaluate the effects of a fructose enriched diet (FED) on rat sperm quality, epididymal function (i.e. oxidative stress and alpha-glucosidase expression) and testosterone concentrations; 2) to determine if the administration of ghrelin (Ghrl), reverses the effects induced by FED. After validating the protocol as an inductor of metabolic syndrome like-symptoms, adult male rats were assigned to one of the following treatments for 8 weeks: FED = 10% fructose enriched in water (v/v); FED + Ghrl = fructose enriched diet plus Ghrl (6 nmol/animal/day, s.c.) from week 6-8; or C = water without fructose (n = 5-10 animals/group). FED significantly decreased sperm concentration and motile sperm count/ml vs C (FED: 19.0 ± 1.6 × 106sperm/ml and 834.6 ± 137.0, respectively vs C: 25.8 ± 2.8 × 106 and 1300.4 ± 202.4, respectively; p < 0.05); ghrelin injection reversed this negative effect (23.5 ± 1.6 × 106sperm/ml and 1381.7 ± 71.3 respectively). FED resulted in hypogonadism, but Ghrl could not normalize testosterone concentrations (C: 1.4 ± 0.1 ng/ml vs FED: 0.8 ± 0.2 ng/ml and FED + Ghrl: 0.6 ± 0.2 ng/ml; p < 0.05). Ghrelin did not reverse metabolic abnormalities secondary to FED. FED did not alter epididymal expression of antioxidants enzymes (superoxido-dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidases -Gpx-). Nevertheless, FED + Ghrl significantly increased the expression of Gpx3 (FED + Ghrl: 3.47 ± 0.48 vs FED: 0.69 ± 0.28 and C: 1.00 ± 0.14; p < 0.05). The expression of neutral alpha-glucosidase, which is a marker of epididymal function, did not differ between treatments. In conclusion, the administration of Ghrl modulated the negative effects of FED on sperm quality, possibly by an epididymal increase in Gpx3 expression. However, Ghrl could not neither normalize the metabolism of FED animals, nor reverse hypogonadism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolás David Ramírez
- Instituto de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Santa Rosa 1085, X5000ESU, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Eugenia Mercedes Luque
- Instituto de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Santa Rosa 1085, X5000ESU, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Xaviar Michael Jones
- Instituto de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Santa Rosa 1085, X5000ESU, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Pedro Javier Torres
- Instituto de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Santa Rosa 1085, X5000ESU, Córdoba, Argentina.,Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (INICSA), CONICET-Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Enrique Barros esq, Enfermera Gordillo, Pabellón de Biología Celular, Ciudad Universitaria, 5016, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - María José Moreira Espinoza
- Instituto de Biología Celular, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Enrique Barros esq, Enfermera Gordillo, Ciudad Universitaria, 5016, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Verónica Cantarelli
- Instituto de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Santa Rosa 1085, X5000ESU, Córdoba, Argentina.,Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (INICSA), CONICET-Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Enrique Barros esq, Enfermera Gordillo, Pabellón de Biología Celular, Ciudad Universitaria, 5016, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Marina Flavia Ponzio
- Instituto de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Santa Rosa 1085, X5000ESU, Córdoba, Argentina.,Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (INICSA), CONICET-Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Enrique Barros esq, Enfermera Gordillo, Pabellón de Biología Celular, Ciudad Universitaria, 5016, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Ana Arja
- Instituto de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Santa Rosa 1085, X5000ESU, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - María Belén Rabaglino
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (INICSA), CONICET-Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Enrique Barros esq, Enfermera Gordillo, Pabellón de Biología Celular, Ciudad Universitaria, 5016, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Ana Carolina Martini
- Instituto de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Santa Rosa 1085, X5000ESU, Córdoba, Argentina.,Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (INICSA), CONICET-Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Enrique Barros esq, Enfermera Gordillo, Pabellón de Biología Celular, Ciudad Universitaria, 5016, Córdoba, Argentina
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