title: Dietary fatty acid composition affects aminopeptidase activities in the testes of mice.
abstract: The autocrine/paracrine control mechanisms of local factors, such as the renin-angiotensin system and the thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), seem to play a relevant role in testicular physiology. It has been proposed that dietary fat composition influences male reproductive function modifying the cholesterol-phospholipid composition of testicular plasma membranes. Modifications in the composition and physical properties of the membranes may lead to alterations in the activities of membrane-bound (M-B) enzymes. We have previously demonstrated that cholesterol and steroid hormones affect aminopeptidase (AP) activities. Dietary fatty acids with different degrees of saturation modified AP activities in the serum of mice and an olive oil supplemented diet influenced the AP activities in the testes of mice. We hypothesized that the modification of dietary fat composition may affect angiotensin- [glutamyl-AP (GluAP), aspartyl-AP (AspAP)] and TRH- [pyroglutamyl-AP (pGluAP)] degrading activities in the testis. In this study, we investigated the effect of diets supplemented with sunflower oil (SFO), fish oil (FO), olive oil (OO), lard (L) or coconut oil (CO) on soluble (Sol) and M-B GluAP, AspAP and pGluAP in mice testis, using arylamides as substrates. Sol GluAP activity did not show differences among groups. However, Sol AspAP and Sol pGluAP progressively decreased with the degree of saturation of the fatty acid used in the diet. In contrast, M-B GluAP progressively increased with the degree of saturation of the fatty acid used in the diet. For M-B AspAP activity, mice fed diets containing FO showed significantly higher levels than those fed diets containing SFO, OO and L but not those containing CO. For M-B pGluAP activity, the highest levels were observed for mice fed diets containing FO and OO. The present data suggest that the type of fat used in the diet may influence the autocrine/paracrine functions of locally synthesized angiotensin peptides and TRH in the testis, and consequently may be important in male reproductive functions.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Physiology, University of Jaén, Jaén, Spain.
authors.forename: Garbiñe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Arechaga
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Prieto
authors.forename: Ana B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Segarra
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Alba
authors.forename: María B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Larrea
authors.forename: José I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Sanz
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Gasparo
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ramirez
mesh_terms: D000626:Aminopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D000074263:Coconut Oil; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D043384:Glutamyl Aminopeptidase; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000494:pharmacology; D011761:Pyrrolidonecarboxylic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D000074242:Sunflower Oil; D013737:Testis / Q000201:enzymology*
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D010938:Plant Oils; D000074242:Sunflower Oil; D000626:Aminopeptidases; D043384:Glutamyl Aminopeptidase; C023166:pyroglutamyl-peptidase II; D000074263:Coconut Oil; D011761:Pyrrolidonecarboxylic Acid