Sodium 4-phenylbutyrate Attenuates High-fat Diet-induced Impaired Spermatogenesis / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

OBJECTIVE@#To determine the mitigating effects of sodium 4-phenylbutyrate (4-PBA) on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced spermatogenesis dysfunction.@*METHODS@#Male rats (n = 30) were randomly divided into three groups: control, HFD, and 4-PBA (HFD +4-PBA). After 13 weeks, rats were euthanized. Testes and epididymis were harvested for further analysis. Sex hormones were detected, and hematoxylin and eosin staining was performed to examine the histological changes in the testes. Semen samples were collected to evaluate sperm quality. Spermatogenic cell apoptosis was detected by TUNEL assay.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the control group, the final body weight and body weight gain were significantly higher in HFD-fed rats, while the testicle/body weight ratios were lower (P < 0.05). In HFD-fed rats, obvious pathological changes in the testicular tissue were observed. Treatment with 4-PBA attenuated HFD-induced histological damage, ameliorated the HFD-induced decrease in serum testosterone (T), and reduced the rate of testicular cell apoptosis (P < 0.05) in obese male rats. Finally, 4-PBA significantly improved semen parameters in HFD rats (P < 0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#HFD exposure induced detrimental effects on spermatogenesis, semen quality, serum T level, and testicular cell apoptosis in rats. Treatment with 4-PBA ameliorated HFD？induced impaired spermatogenesis via inhibition of apop-tosis in rats. 4-PBA may have therapeutic value in the treatment of obesity？related impairment of spermatogenesis.

Effects of Parental Dietary Exposure to GM Rice TT51 on the Male Reproductive System of Rat Offspring / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the health effects of parental dietary exposure to GM rice TT51 on the male reproductive system of rat off spring.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Rice-based diets, containing 60% ordinary grocery rice, MingHui63, or TT51 by weight, were given to parental rats (15 males/30 females each group) for 70 days prior mating and throughout pregnancy and lactation. After weaning, eight male offspring rats were randomly selected at each group and fed with diets correspondent to their parents' for 70 days. The effects of exposure to TT51 on male reproductive system of offspring rats were assessed through sperm parameters, testicular function enzyme activities, serum hormones (FSH, LH, and testosterone levels), testis histopathological examination, and the relative expression levels of selected genes along the hypothalamic-pituitary- testicular (HPT) axis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>No significant differences were observed in body weight, food intake, organ/body weights, serum hormone, sperm parameters, testis function enzyme ACP, LDH, and SDH activities, testis histopathological changes, and relative mRNA expression levels of GnRH-R, FSH-R, LH-R, and AR along the HPT axis.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The results of this study demonstrate that parental dietary exposure to TT51 reveals no significant differences on the reproductive system of male offspring rats compared with MingHui63 and control.</p>