Undernutrition During Foetal and Post-Natal Life Affects Testicular Structure and Reduces the Number of Sertoli Cells in the Adult Rat

Abstract

To test whether undernutrition during foetal to pre-pubertal life would have long lasting effects on testicular histology in adult male offspring, eleven adult Sprague-Dawley pregnant rats were divided into two groups: Control group, n = 4, fed ad libitum, during gestation and lactation (until 25 day post-partum). Underfed group pregnant females (n = 7) were kept in cages where only dams had access to food (standard rat chow, 33.5% of ad libitum intake of Control group pregnant dams). After parturition, litters were adjusted to either 14 (Underfed group) or eight (Control group) pups. Mothers were weighed weekly. At 25 day of age pups were weaned, housed at four animals per cage, fed ad libitum and weighed weekly until euthanized at 100 day of age. Testes were processed for standard histology and morphometrical evaluation. At weaning, mother weight was lower in underfed than in Control group (mean +/- SD): 214.1 +/- 26.2 g vs 361.9 +/- 33.1 g. Body weight at 100 days of age (254 +/- 26.9 g vs 342.4 +/- 10.2 g, p <or= 0.001), testicular weight (1.29 +/- 0.16 g vs 1.45 +/- 0.13 g, p = 0.03), number of Sertoli cells per seminiferous tubule cross section (18.2 +/- 1.2 vs 20.2 +/- 1.3, p <or= 0.01) and per testis (30.5 +/- 4.2 x 10(6) vs 36.0 +/- 5.4 x 10(6)) were lower (p < 0.05) in Underfed than in Control group. This is the first report stating that foetal to pubertal subnutrition is accompanied by changes in testicular structure and lower Sertoli cell numbers in adult life, strongly suggesting lower daily sperm production.

Maternal Nutrition during Pregnancy Affects Testicular and Bone Development, Glucose Metabolism and Response to Overnutrition in Weaned Horses Up to Two Years

“…Indeed, the change in maternal diet occurred at the beginning of testicular inguinal migration in fetuses (about 270 days of gestation) [77], when testicular differentiation is still regulated. Indeed, in rats and sheep, maternal undernutrition reduced seminiferous tubule diameter and Sertoli cell numbers per tubule [24,25,78]. Another hypothesis would have been an effect of hormones: T3, leptin, insulin and IGF-1 plasma concentrations are known to increase with improved nutritional status in the fetus and neonate [31,79].…”

Undernutrition Affects Cell Survival, Oxidative Stress, Ca2+ Handling and Signaling Pathways in Vas Deferens, Crippling Reproductive Capacity

“…This condition is defined by a deficiency of energy and nutrients over a period of several years that frequently impairs the growth and development of the child into adulthood [1,2]. Evidence that reproductive maturation and function are influenced by malnutrition is now emerging from animal studies and human populations [3–5]. It has been demonstrated that undernutrition during the fetal to pre-pubertal period is accompanied by changes in testicular structure with a consequent decrease in daily sperm production [5].…”

Maternal environment and the reproductive function of the offspring

“…Furthermore, it was reported in rats that undernutrition from the fetal period to puberty was associated with lower testicular weight and lower Sertoli cell numbers in adult life, showing that nutrition during fetal to early postnatal life may be critical to male reproductive life in adulthood [57]. Altogether, these results indicate that Sertoli cells may be particularly vulnerable to maternal undernutrition during pregnancy.…”