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Low protein uptake during peripuberty impairs the testis, epididymis, and spermatozoa in pubertal and adult Wistar rats

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 October 2024

Giovanna Fachetti Frigoli Open the ORCID record for Giovanna Fachetti Frigoli [Opens in a new window] ,
Débora Hipólito Quadreli ,
Dayane Priscila dos Santos ,
Ivana Regina da Costa ,
Anna Rebeka Oliveira Ferreira ,
Maria Natália Chimirri Peres ,
Maiara Vanusa Guedes Ribeiro ,
Graziela Scalianti Ceravolo Open the ORCID record for Graziela Scalianti Ceravolo [Opens in a new window] ,
Paulo Cezar Mathias Open the ORCID record for Paulo Cezar Mathias [Opens in a new window]  and
Kesia Palma-Rigo Open the ORCID record for Kesia Palma-Rigo [Opens in a new window]
...Show all authors
Giovanna Fachetti Frigoli
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Toxicology and Metabolic Disturbs of Reproduction, General Biology Department, Biological Sciences Center, State University of Londrina, Londrina, Brazil
Débora Hipólito Quadreli
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Toxicology and Metabolic Disturbs of Reproduction, General Biology Department, Biological Sciences Center, State University of Londrina, Londrina, Brazil
Dayane Priscila dos Santos
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Toxicology and Metabolic Disturbs of Reproduction, General Biology Department, Biological Sciences Center, State University of Londrina, Londrina, Brazil
Ivana Regina da Costa
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Toxicology and Metabolic Disturbs of Reproduction, General Biology Department, Biological Sciences Center, State University of Londrina, Londrina, Brazil
Anna Rebeka Oliveira Ferreira
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Secretion Cell Biology, Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Center of Biological Sciences, State University of Maringá, Maringá, Brazil
Maria Natália Chimirri Peres
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Secretion Cell Biology, Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Center of Biological Sciences, State University of Maringá, Maringá, Brazil
Maiara Vanusa Guedes Ribeiro
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Secretion Cell Biology, Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Center of Biological Sciences, State University of Maringá, Maringá, Brazil
Graziela Scalianti Ceravolo
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Vascular Pharmacology, Department of Physiological Sciences, Biological Sciences Center, State University of Londrina, Londrina, Brazil
Paulo Cezar Mathias
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Secretion Cell Biology, Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Center of Biological Sciences, State University of Maringá, Maringá, Brazil
Kesia Palma-Rigo
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Secretion Cell Biology, Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Center of Biological Sciences, State University of Maringá, Maringá, Brazil
Glaura Scantamburlo Alves Fernandes*
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Toxicology and Metabolic Disturbs of Reproduction, General Biology Department, Biological Sciences Center, State University of Londrina, Londrina, Brazil
*
Corresponding author: Glaura Scantamburlo Alves Fernandes; Email: glaura@uel.br
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Abstract

Protein malnutrition during critical periods poses significant risks to reproductive health. Thus, this study aims to evaluate the immediate and delayed effects of a 30-day low-protein diet on the postnatal development of the male reproductive system. For so, male rats were fed a protein-deficient diet from postnatal day 30–60, followed by evaluations of testis, epididymis, and spermatozoa both at the end of the diet and after a 60-day recovery period. Testicular and epididymal weight was lowered in pubertal animals. Several histological alterations were found in the testis, such as acidophilic cells and vacuoles in the seminiferous epithelium, and sperm production was compromised. In the epididymis, the luminal compartment was diminished, and the stroma was enlarged both in the caput and cauda; in the cauda, the epithelial compartment was enlarged; the transit time of spermatozoa through this organ was diminished. Testosterone production was lowered. Spermatozoa’s motility, mitochondrial activation, and acrosomal integrity were impaired, and several alterations in morphology were observed. After the recovery period, testicular and epididymal weight was restored. Tissue remodulation was observed in the epididymis, but the spermatozoa’s transit time in this organ was not altered. Sperm and testosterone production, spermatozoa motility, mitochondrial activation, and acrosomal integrity were also restored. However, testicular histological alterations and spermatic morphological abnormalities were maintained in protein-restricted animals. Protein restriction during peripuberty impairs the reproductive maturation of pubertal Wistar rats, impairing testicular and epididymal function, with lasting effects even after dietary correction.

Keywords

Protein restrictionpostnatal developmentSertoli cellLeydig celltestosterone
Type
Original Article
Information
Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease , Volume 15 , 2024 , e23
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press in association with The International Society for Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD)

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