Oxidized palm oil impairs reproductive functions and architectures in female rats

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the effects of three oxidized palm oil diets (OPD) on female rat reproductive function.

Methods: Forty-four female Wistar rats presenting five consecutive and regular estrous cycles were divided into 4 groups. The rats were fed with: a standard diet, 70% of standard diet+30% oxidized palm oil diet (OPD1), OPD1+5 g of boiled yolk egg (OPD2) and OPD1+10% sucrose (OPD3) for 125 days, respectively. During the feeding period, morphometric, estrous cycle, sexual behavior, gestation, biochemical and histomorphometric parameters were evaluated.

Results: All OPDs significantly increased abdominal circumference, body mass index and Lee index coupled to an irregularity and lengthening of the estrous cycle. They significantly decreased appetite and consumption behaviours, quantic pregnancy index, fertility rate, implantation sites and index, serum progesterone and high-density lipoprotein levels, increased pre-implantation losses, anti-implantation activities, serum estradiol, triglycerides, total and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels, and impaired brain and ovaries oxidative status. Histomorphometric examinations revealed increases in the number of atresic and primary follicles and decreases in secondary, tertiary, Degraaf, total and corpus luteum follicles in ovaries coupled to a neurodegeneration of hypothalamic anteroventral periventricular neurons in the OPD groups compared to the standard diet group.

Conclusions: The three OPDs induce obesity and impair the female reproductive function, especially OPD2 and OPD3. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the adverse effects of palm oil bleaching on the reproductive function in female rats, which could be useful in the management of women with obesity-related sexual dysfunction.

Keywords

Bleached palm oil / Reproductive function / Anteroventral periventricular nucleus / Ovary / Estrogen / Progesterone / Female rat

Conflict of interest statement

The authors of this paper declare no conflict of interest.

Aknowlegments

The authors are grateful to the “Alexander von Humbold” fondation for the laboratory equipement offered to Pr Alain Bertrand Dongmo. Authors also thank Drs Nde Zacharie and Etaga Noel, and Mr Tenezogang Christian for their technical assistance.

Funding

This study received no extramural funding.

Data availablility statement

The datasets used in this study are available from the corresponding author upon request.

Authors' contributions

Wankeu-Nya M, Kengne IT and Ateba BS did the study design and wrote the manuscript. Kengne IT, Bend FE, Djeumeni ON and Hatho DT collected the data; Wankeu-Nya M, Kengne IT, Ateba BS and Ngadjui E defined the intellectual content. Moundipa PF, Massoma DL, Dongmo AB and Watcho P did the manuscript review.

Publisher' s Note

The Publisher of the Journal remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

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