Do physical exercise and/or ghrelin administration reverse the negative effects of obesity on sperm quality?

GUANTAY P; MACHUCA D; TORRES PJ; RAMÍREZ ND; ARJA A; MARTINI AC (DEBE SER CONSIDERADA ÚLTIMO AUTOR CONJUNTO); LUQUE EM

Mar del Plata

Congreso; Reunión Anual de Sociedades de Biociencias; 2023

SAIC, AACYTAL, ETC

Obesity (Ob) is a highly prevalent pathology all over the world, characterized by dyslipidemia, hypertension, heart disease, meta-inflammation and premature mortality.Our hypothesis was that “in rats, physical exercise (Exc), with or without the co-administration of Ghrelin (Ghrl), improves the metabolic profile and the sperm quality altered by obesity”. In male Wistar rats we studied, the effects of an obesogenic diet (ObD=pelleted food +30% pork fat +water with 5% fructose) from weaning (day 21), on body weight evolution and, in adulthood, the metabolic profile, visceral fat and sperm quality. We evaluated also if Exc (standardized forced walk in wheels, 15min/day, 3 days/week from day 65 to 103), with or without Ghrl (6 nmol/animal/day s.c. from day 85 to 103) modified these parameters. Animals were divided in five groups: a) control diet (CD: pelletd food+ water) b) ObD, c) ObD+Ghrl, d) ObD+Exc and e) ObD+Ghrl+Exc. Results were analyzed by ANOVA with a p<0.05; n=7animals/group.ObD increased significantly (day 103) body weight evolution (g) (ObD=406.6±5.8 vs CD=334.3±10.4), visceral fat (g) (ObD=12.4±0.7 vs CD=6.6±0.6), total cholesterol (mg/dl) (ObD=79.1±4.9 vs CD=51.4±2.5), triglycerides (TG) (mg/dl) (ObD=130.7±9.7 vs CD=79.1±4.9) and LDL (mg/dl) (ObD=27.5±4.9 vs CD=11.9±2.2). Exc (ObD+Exc) significantly reversed these effects (body weight=356.7±15.4; visceral fat=7.71±0.85, total cholesterol=66.8±3.0; TG=56.1±4.3), but not Ghrl. Exc and Ghrl (together or separately) significantly increased the values of sperm concentration (106/ml) (CD=25.3±0.7; ObD+Exc=24.5±2.2; ObD+Ghrl=26.4±2.7; ObD+Ghrl+Exc=24.4±1.0 vs ObD=18.8±0.7) and sperm motility (%) (CD=57.9±3.14; ObD+Exc=53.3±3.6; ObD+Ghrl=58.1±3.2; ObD+Ghrl+Exc=59.2±3.8 vs ObD=44.2±3.4) altered by obesity.In conclusion, Exc was very effective in reversing all the negative effects of obesity; Ghrl was only for sperm quality. The combination of both treatments did not show more effectiveness than Exc alone.