Under-nutrition reduces spermatogenic efficiency and sperm velocity, and increases sperm DNA damage in sexually mature male sheep

Guan, Yongjuan; Malecki, Irek; Hawken, Penny; Linden, Matthew D.; Martin, Graeme B.

doi:10.1016/j.anireprosci.2014.07.014

Cited by 32 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…Several studies have demonstrated mating preference for chemical signals produced by well-fed individuals compared with their starved counterparts (Fisher and Rosenthal, 2006;Giaquinto, 2010;Baruffaldi and Andrade, 2015). Additionally, under-nourished males may have low sperm counts, poor sperm quality (Dunn and Moss, 1992;Izquierdo et al, 2001;Guan et al, 2014), or lower resistance to disease (Moret and SchmidHempel, 2000). Pheromones revealing information about male nutritional health may also be significant for females: recent studies link paternal nutritional health at conception to offspring health (Veenendaal et al, 2013) and fertility (McPherson et al, 2014), effects that may be trans-generational (see also Lane et al, 2015).…”

Section: Diet-mediated Pheromones and Signaller Quality Via Direct Inmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diet-Mediated Pheromones and Signature Mixtures Can Enforce Signal Reliability

et al. 2017

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Diet is arguably the most significant environmental factor shaping chemical signals in animals. In rare cases, dietary components are converted directly into pheromones or signature mixtures but more generally variation in an individual's diet influences their overall condition and thus capacity to synthesize the signal. Typically, diet is variable between individuals of the same species and this can lead to variation in signals. This variation presents specific challenges to receivers, who must be able to recognize and respond to a greater range of signals. However, such variation might also provide the receiver with key information about the signaller, allowing them to respond to the signal advantageously. Here we investigate how dietary-mediated pheromones and signature mixtures can provide the receiver with reliable information about the signaller, ultimately benefiting the receiver in a way not achievable by a static signal.

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Section: Diet-mediated Pheromones and Signaller Quality Via Direct Inmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diet-Mediated Pheromones and Signature Mixtures Can Enforce Signal Reliability

et al. 2017

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“…The data on the effects of nutritional treatments on body mass, scrotal circumference, semen quality and spermatozoal quality, Sertoli cell number and quality were published before [4, 5]. Our previous work showed significant differences between High diet and Low diet in terms of the above parameters, with the values for maintenance-fed rams being generally similar to those for the High diet.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 84%

“…In addition, with change in testicular size, the efficiency of sperm production also changes [3]. We have been investigating the cellular and molecular processes of the testis response to nutrition, and we have found that under-nutrition despaired spermatogenesis in adult sheep [4, 5]. …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Functional changes in mRNA expression and alternative pre-mRNA splicing associated with the effects of nutrition on apoptosis and spermatogenesis in the adult testis

et al. 2017

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BackgroundThe effects of nutrition on testis mass in the sexually mature male have long been known, however, the cellular and molecular processes of the testis response to nutrition was not fully understood.MethodsWe tested whether the defects in spermatogenesis and increases in germ cell apoptosis in the testis that are induced by under-nutrition are associated with changes in mRNA expression and pre-mRNA alternative splicing using groups of 8 male sheep fed for a 10% increase or 10% decrease in body mass over 65 days.ResultsWe identified 2,243 mRNAs, including TP53 and Claudin 11, that were differentially expressed in testis from underfed and well-fed sheep (FDR < 0.1), and found that their expression changed in parallel with variations in germ cell numbers, testis size, and spermatogenesis. Furthermore, pairs of 269 mRNAs and 48 miRNAs were identified on the basis of target prediction. The regulatory effect of miRNAs on mRNA expression, in combination with functional analysis, suggests that these miRNAs are involved in abnormal reproductive morphology, apoptosis and male infertility. Nutrition did not affect the total number of alternative splicing events, but affected 206 alternative splicing events. A total of 159 genes, including CREM, SPATA6, and DDX4, were differentially spliced between dietary treatments, with functions related to RNA splicing and spermatogenesis. In addition, three gene modules were positively correlated with spermatogenesis-related phenotypic traits and negatively related to apoptosis-related phenotypic traits. Among these gene modules, seven (CFLAR, PTPRC, F2R, MAP3K1, EPHA7, APP, BCAP31) were also differentially expressed between nutritional treatments, indicating their potential as markers of spermatogenesis or apoptosis.ConclusionsOur findings on significant changes in mRNAs and pre-mRNA alternative splicing under-nutrition suggest that they may partly explain the disruption of spermatogenesis and the increase germ cell apoptosis. However, more research is required to verify their causal effects in regulating spermatogenesis and germ cell apoptosis.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-016-3385-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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“…When his reports were published many years later (Mori 1959a,b), they showed that semen quality and sperm production were improved within a month or two by supplements of milk, pork and eggs! Subsequent studies included measures of testis mass, sperm output and 'spermatogenic efficiency', the number of sperm cells produced per unit mass of testis (Salamon 1964, Setchell et al 1965, Braden et al 1974, Oldham et al 1978, Cameron et al 1988, Guan et al 2014b. The changes in spermatogenic efficiency are particularly relevant to the present review -for example, (Oldham et al 1978) found that a 25% increase in testicular size led to an 81% increase in production of spermatozoa.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Moreover, these techniques only assess the semen quality and do not address the quality of the spermatozoa. To resolve these issues, we used computer-assisted semen analysis and a sperm chromatin structure assay (Guan et al 2014b). We found that sperm from rams that had been underfed for 65 days (testes regressing) swam with lower velocity and had more DNA damage than sperm from well-fed rams (testes growing).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cellular and molecular responses of adult testis to changes in nutrition: novel insights from the sheep model

Guan¹,

Martin²

2017

Reproduction

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This review explores the cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate spermatogenesis in the post-pubertal testis that is regressing in response to mild undernutrition, using the sexually mature male sheep as a model. Testis regression leads to reductions in daily sperm production and in the quality of ejaculated spermatozoa (poorer movement, DNA damage). There is also a reduction in spermatogenic efficiency that appears to be caused, at least partially, by increases in germ cell apoptosis. Sertoli cell number does not change with testis regression, although about 1% of Sertoli cells do appear to retain proliferative ability after puberty. On the other hand, Sertoli cell function is disrupted during testis regression, as evidenced by a disorganization of tight junctions and indications that cell differentiation and maturation are reversed. Disrupted Sertoli cell function can explain, at least partially, the increase in germ cell apoptosis and any decrease in the rate of spermatogenesis, the two major contributors to spermatogenic efficiency. These outcomes seem to be mediated by changes in two RNA-based processes: (i) the expression of small non-coding RNAs that are involved in the regulation of Sertoli cell function, spermatogenesis and germ cell apoptosis and (ii) alternative pre-mRNA splicing that affects the regulation of spermatogenesis but does not appear to affect germ cell apoptosis, at least during testis progression induced by undernutrition in the male sheep. These research outcomes can be extended to other animal models and are relevant to issues in human male fertility.Reproduction (2017) 154 R133-R141

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Under-nutrition reduces spermatogenic efficiency and sperm velocity, and increases sperm DNA damage in sexually mature male sheep

Cited by 32 publications

References 44 publications

Diet-Mediated Pheromones and Signature Mixtures Can Enforce Signal Reliability

Diet-Mediated Pheromones and Signature Mixtures Can Enforce Signal Reliability

Functional changes in mRNA expression and alternative pre-mRNA splicing associated with the effects of nutrition on apoptosis and spermatogenesis in the adult testis

Cellular and molecular responses of adult testis to changes in nutrition: novel insights from the sheep model

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