EFFECT OF OLIVE OIL INTAKE ON CHOLESTEROL METABOLISM IN HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIC RABBITS

SIMÓN L; FOURNIERF; ROMERO AIDA A; FUNES A.K.; JAKOVCEVIC D; YAPUR MARCHANT M; BOARELLI P.V; MONCLUS M.A; CAYADO N; CABRILLANA M.E; VINCENTI A.E; SAEZ LANCELLOTTI TANIA ESTEFANÍA; FORNÉS M.W

Valdivia

Otro; XXIV Reunión Anual Sociedad Chilena de Reproducción 2013. Reproducción y Desarrollo: Desde la Fisiología a la Patología con la Mirada en el Futuro.; 2013

Sociedad Chilena de Reproducción y Desarrollo

Olive oil (OO) the principal fat of Mediterranean Diet, is known to benefit hypercholesterolemia (HC), a recognized risk factor of cardiovascular disease. Recently, HC has also been associated with poor semen/sperm quality that may lead to male infertility. We have previously found that Hypercholesterolemic rabbits (HCR) have poor semen/sperm quality, and OO supplementation improved sperm physiology and semen parameters affected by high saturated fat cosumption. Our interest resides in studing at molecular levels the intracellular pathway of cholesterol  metabolism in testes, in order to find out the cause that ultimately led to altered semen parameters and its reversión by OO intake. Twenty New Zeland Rabbits were randomly distributed in experimental groups: NCR (normal cholesterol rabbits), HCR (developed by feeding a high fat diet: 0,05% Cholesterol), and protected group (developed by addition of 7% OO concomitant with the HC diet for 16 weeks). Study period lasted 12 months. We found that saturated or unsaturated lipid  intake,  affects differently the intracelular pathway of cholesterol metabolism. Specifically, a transcription factor, SREBP, changed its expression (RNAm and protein) depending on the type of fat consumed,showing a putative molecular mechanism for OO protection, Our data  demonstrated that OO improves  semen quality in our rabbits model of HC, and suggest that the mechanism acounting for this protective effect likely involves complex alterations in cellular metabolism beyond simply reduction in cholesterol.