title: Caloric restriction promotes the reserve of follicle pool in adult female rats by inhibiting the activation of mammalian target of rapamycin signaling.
abstract: Caloric restriction (CR) is known to increase the number of primordial follicles and prolong the reproductive life span. However, how CR modulates follicular development is not well understood. In the present study, we examined the effects of CR on follicular development in rats and investigated the underlying mechanism. After 10 weeks of CR or high-fat diet, ovarian follicles at different developmental stages were examined by histological analysis. Plasma levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and estrogen (ESG) were measured, and the levels of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), p70S6 kinase (p70S6K), and phosphorylated p70S6K in the ovary were detected by Western blot. The results showed that the reserve of follicle pool in CR rats was increased, accompanied by decreased level of phosphorylated p70S6K in the ovary, and decreased serum LH, FSH, and ESG levels. Taken together, these results suggest that CR may suppress ovarian follicular development and enhance the follicle pool reserve by inhibiting mTOR signaling.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of the First Affiliated Hospital, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cell Senescence, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China.
authors.forename: Yu-cai
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cell Senescence, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China.
authors.forename: Jin-jie
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology of Shantou Central Hospital, Shantou, China.
authors.forename: Xuan-hao
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of the First Affiliated Hospital, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-chun
authors.initials: XC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of HuiZhou Municipal Central Hospital, Huizhou, China.
authors.forename: Xing-mei
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of the First Affiliated Hospital, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China luolili6606@163.com.
authors.forename: Li-li
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Luo
mesh_terms: D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D031204:Caloric Restriction; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D059305:Diet, High-Fat; D004967:Estrogens / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D009752:Nutritional Status; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000201:enzymology*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D038762:Ribosomal Protein S6 Kinases, 70-kDa / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D004967:Estrogens; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone; C546845:mTOR protein, rat; D038762:Ribosomal Protein S6 Kinases, 70-kDa; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases
keywords: caloric restriction; estrogen; luteinizing hormone; mTOR; primordial follicle