A high-fat diet impairs reproduction by decreasing the IL1? level in mice treated at immature stage.

ABSTRACT: Obesity causes low-grade inflammation that is involved in male infertility. Interleukin 1 beta (IL1?) plays an important role in this process. A high-fat diet (HFD) is the most common cause of obesity. However, the effect of a HFD on IL1? and its consequence in reproduction remain unclear. We established a HFD model in mice treated at immature stage (mice-TIS) and mice treated at mature stage (mice-TMS). Surprisingly, we found that a HFD decreased IL1? levels and was accompanied by an increase in testosterone in mice-TIS, while the reverse results were observed in mice-TMS. In addition, a HFD caused a reduction in testis macrophages and in the expression of inflammasome-related genes and proteins in mice-TIS. Furthermore, we found that IL1? inhibited testosterone secretion through down-regulating the gene expression of P450SCC and P450c17. However, the influence on mice-TIS that were induced by a HFD was recovered by stopping the HFD. In this study, we are the first to report that a HFD impairs the reproductive system by decreasing IL1? and enhancing testosterone levels in mice-TIS, which are different from the effects in mice-TMS. This provides new ideas for the treatment of obesity-induced infertility.

SUBMITTER: Zhang J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5428732 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature