Alteration of the Lipid Composition of Rat Testicular Plasma Membranes by Dietary (n-3) Fatty Acids Changes the Responsiveness of Leydig Cells and Testosterone Synthesis

Abstract

Experiments were conducted to assess whether changing dietary fat composition altered phospholipid composition of rat testicular plasma membranes in a manner that altered receptor-mediated action of luteinizing hormone (LH)/human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Weanling rats were fed diets that provided high or low cholesterol intakes and that were enriched with linseed oil, fish oil or beef tallow for 4 wk. Feeding diets high in (n-3) fatty acids decreased plasma and testicular plasma membrane 20:4(n-6) content. A marked reduction of the 22:5(n-6) content and an increase in the 22:6(n-3) content of testicular plasma membrane was found only in animals fed fish oil. A decrease in binding capacity of the gonadotropin (LH/hCG) receptor in the plasma membrane, with no change in receptor affinity, was observed for animals fed either linseed oil or fish oil diets. Dietary treatments that raised plasma membrane cholesterol content and the cholesterol to phospholipid ratio in the membrane were associated with increased binding capacity of the gonadotropin receptor. Feeding diets high in 18:3(n-3) vs. those high in fish oil altered receptor-mediated adenylate cyclase activity in a manner that depended on the level of dietary cholesterol. Feeding diets high in cholesterol or fish oil increased basal and LH-stimulated testosterone synthesis relative to that in animals fed the low cholesterol diet containing linseed oil. It is concluded that changing the fat composition of the diet alters the phospholipid composition of rat testicular plasma membranes and that this change in composition influences membrane-mediated unmasking of gonadotropin receptor-mediated action in testicular tissue.

Processed Meat Intake Is Unfavorably and Fish Intake Favorably Associated with Semen Quality Indicators among Men Attending a Fertility Clinic

“…This suggests that the testes or the epididymides have a very active FA metabolism that preferentially accumulates long-chain PUFAs, metabolizes PUFAs into long-chain metabolites more efficiently than other tissues, or both. In animal models, fish oil supplementation increases testicular concentrations of DHA (35,37,38). Further, the expression pattern of enzymes involved in PUFA metabolism in the testes suggests a very active FA metabolism.…”

“…During sperm maturation, DHA concentrations exponentially increase in the sperm membrane (12) as a result of both dietary intake and local metabolism (34,35). Testes and sperm have higher concentrations of long-chain PUFAs, particularly DHA, than other tissues or cells (34,36).…”

Do Fat Supplements Increase Physical Performance?

“…In fact, it has been shown that dietary fat improves reproductive performance although the molecular mechanism has not yet been elucidated. Among the different theories, there is one that hypothesizes that dietary fat may directly increase steroidogenesis [37] or directly alter the receptor composition of the testicular plasma membranes [38,39]. …”

Role of central and peripheral aminopeptidase activities in the control of blood pressure: a working hypothesis

“…Dietary fat composition appears to influence male reproductive function by modifying the number of spermatozoa per ejaculate [60]. In addition, dietary fat composition influences male reproductive function by affecting the cholesterol-phospholipid structure of testicular plasma membranes [61]. Detergents, like fatty acids, are amphipathic and also alter the activity of aminopeptidases in vitro [62].…”