Dietary lipid and cholesterol induce ovarian dysfunction and abnormal LH response to stimulation in rabbits

Anne Gaël Cordier (1) , Pauline Leveille (1) , Charlotte Dupont (1) , Anne Couturier-Tarrade (1) , Olivier Picone (1) , Thibaut T. Larcher (2) , Michèle Dahirel (1) , Elodie Poumerol (1) , Béatrice Mandon-Pepin (1) , Rachel Levy (3) , Pascale Chavatte-Palmer (1)

1 BDR - Biologie du développement et reproduction
2 PAnTher - Physiopathologie Animale et bioThérapie du muscle et du système nerveux
3 UREN - Unité de Recherche en Epidémiologie Nutritionnelle

Excess of fat intake is dramatically increasing in women of childbearing age and results in numerous health complications, including reproductive disorders. Using rabbit does as a biomedical model, the aim of this study was to evaluate onset of puberty, endocrine responses to stimulation and ovarian follicular maturation in females fed a high fat high cholesterol diet (HH diet) from 10 weeks of age (i.e., 2 weeks before normal onset of puberty) or a control diet (C diet). Three experiments were performed, each including 8 treated (HH group) and 8 control (C group) does. In experiment 1, the endocrine response to Gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) was evaluated at 13, 18 and 22 weeks of age. In experiment 2, the follicular population was counted in ovaries of adult females (18 weeks of age). In experiment 3, the LH response to mating and steroid profiles throughout gestation were evaluated at 18 weeks of age. Fetal growth was monitored by ultrasound and offspring birth weight was recorded. Data showed a significantly higher Luteinizing hormone (LH) response after induction of ovulation at 13 weeks of age in the HH group. There was no difference at 18 weeks, but at 22 weeks, the LH response to GnRH was significantly reduced in the HH group. The number of atretic follicles was significantly increased and the number of antral follicles significantly reduced in HH does vs. controls. During gestation, the HH diet induced intra-uterine growth retardation (IUGR). The HH diet administered from before puberty onwards affected onset of puberty, follicular growth, hormonal responses to breeding and GnRH stimulation in relation to age and lead to fetal IUGR.

Domaines: Biologie de la reproduction

Anne Gaël Cordier, Pauline Leveille, Charlotte Dupont, Anne Couturier-Tarrade, Olivier Picone, et al.. Dietary lipid and cholesterol induce ovarian dysfunction and abnormal LH response to stimulation in rabbits. PLoS ONE, 2013, 8 (5), pp.1-11. ⟨10.1371/journal.pone.0063101⟩. ⟨hal-01004078⟩