High ratio of dietary n-6/n-3 polyunsatuar ted fattya cida ffects sperm con centration and motility in mice / 医学研究生学报

ABSTRACT

Objective Sperm quality can be affected by many factors .The aim of this study was to observe the effects of di-etary n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids ( PUFAs) on sperm concentration and motility . Methods Twenty healthy B6 male mice were equally randomized to a control and an experimental group to be fed with standard diet and standard diet +10%arachidonic acid (AA), respectively, both for 8 weeks.Then the testes and epididymal tails of the mice were collected for observation of the changes in the microstructure of the epididymal tissue and determination of sperm motility and concentration . Results Compared with the con-trol group, the experimental animals showed significantly decreased serum levels of α-linolenic acid ( ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), and linoleic acid (LA) (P <0.01), but dramatically increased the levels of AA and n-6/n-3 PUFAs (P<0.01).The latter also exhibited remarkable reduction in sperm concentration (7 ×106/mL vs 80 ×106/mL, P<0.01), sperm motility (27%vs 86%, P<0.01). Conclusion High levels of dietary n-6/n-3 PUFAs ratios reduce sperm concentration and motility in mice .