title: Obesity induced by cafeteria diet disrupts fertility in the rat by affecting multiple ovarian targets.
abstract: Obesity constitutes a health problem of increasing worldwide prevalence. Among the health detriments caused by obesity, reproduction is disrupted. However, the mechanisms involved in this disruption are not fully understood. Animals fed a cafeteria diet constitute the model for the study of obesity that most closely reflects Western diet habits. The aims of this study were to evaluate whether a cafeteria diet affects ovarian function and to contribute to the understanding of the mechanisms involved. For that purpose, 22-day-old female Wistar rats were fed ad libitum with a standard diet (control group; n = 20) or cafeteria diet (CAF group; n = 20). The cafeteria diet induced obesity and hyperglycaemia, without altering serum triglycerides, cholesterol or C-reactive protein concentrations. This diet also altered ovarian function: the rats showed prolonged dioestrous phases, decreased serum oestradiol concentrations and increased number of antral atretic follicles. Moreover, follicular cysts were detected in the CAF group, concomitantly with a decrease in the number of anti-Müllerian hormone immunoreactive pre-antral follicles and COX-2-positive antral and pre-ovulatory follicles. The authors conclude that a cafeteria diet reduces ovarian reserve, induces the presence of follicular cysts and disturbs the ovulatory process, leading to the delayed pregnancy observed in these animals.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Biología del Desarrollo, Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE-CONICET-UBA), Pabellón 2, Cdad. Universitaria, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Bazzano
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Pabellón 2, Cdad. Universitaria, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Torelli
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Morfología, Escuela de Ciencias Básicas, Facultad de Salud, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Pustovrh
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Biología del Desarrollo, Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE-CONICET-UBA), Pabellón 2, Cdad. Universitaria, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Pabellón 2, Cdad. Universitaria, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Paz
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Biología del Desarrollo, Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE-CONICET-UBA), Pabellón 2, Cdad. Universitaria, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address: evelinmariel@gmail.com.ar.
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Elia
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D054304:Anti-Mullerian Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D066273:Diet, Western / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism; D010053:Ovary / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D014280:Triglycerides; D054304:Anti-Mullerian Hormone; D002784:Cholesterol; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2
keywords: anti-Müllerian hormone; fertility; follicular cyst; folliculogenesis