Effects of Diet-Induced Obesity and Deficient in Vitamin D on Spermatozoa Function and DNA Integrity in Sprague-Dawley Rats

Abstract EN

Obesity has adverse effects on male fertility and usually is diagnosed with a prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (VD-).

Discussion on the impact of obesity/VD- on sperm function has been limited.

This study analyzed the effects of diet-induced obesity/VD- on viability and plasma membrane integrity (PMI), superoxide anion (O2-) level, and DNA fragmentation (DNAfrag) in sperm Sprague-Dawley rats.

The males were randomized into four groups and fed for a period of 12 weeks: G1: control diet with vitamin D (C/VD+), G2: control diet without vitamin D (C/VD-), G3: high-fat diet with vitamin D (HF/VD+), and G4: high-fat diet without vitamin D (HF/VD-).

Sperm function parameters were analyzed by flow cytometry.

PMI percentages and O2- levels were not affected by any of the diets.

DNA fragmentation was increasing significantly (p<0.05) in the spermatozoa of animals with diets vitamin D deficient (G2) and diet-induced obesity (G4).

Our results allow us to point out that diet-induced obesity and VD- produce greater damage in DNA sperm of rats.

The use of nutraceuticals containing vitamin D could be reducing the risk of fragmentation of DNA in spermatozoa.