Maternal overweight disrupts the sexual maturation of the offspring

GALARZA, ROCÍO A.; RHON CALDERÓN, ERIC A.; CORTEZ, ANALÍA E.; FALETTI, ALICIA G.

REPRODUCTIVE SCIENCES

SAGE PUBLICATIONS INC

Lugar: California; Año: 2017 vol. 24 p. 1284 - 1292

1933-7191

The aims of the present work were to study the effect of maternal overweight and obesity on the ovarian reserve, follicular development and ovulation of the offspring, and to assess whether this maternal condition alters oocyte integrity. To this end, female offspring from rats fed with standard or cafeteria diet (OSD and OCD respectively) were used. Bodyweight, vaginal opening and estrous cycle were recorded and ovaries were obtained on the day of the second estrus. In addition, ovarian weight, ovulation rate (measured by the number of oocytes within oviducts), follicular development (determined by histology) and oocyte integrity were examined. OCD rats were divided in two groups: those from rats with 17% and 28% of overweight (OCD17 and OCD28 respectively). Both OCD groups showed higher body weight, but OCD28 also exhibited early vaginal opening and higher ovarian weight and glycemia at euthanasia compared with OSD rats. Both OCD17 and OCD28 had lower number of primordial and primary follicles, and only OCD28 exhibited lower number of antral follicles, all compared with OSD rats. In addition, both OCD17 and OCD28 had higher ovulation rate than controls, and OCD28 had lower number of healthy oocytes, which, in turn, exhibited morphological alterations such as larger perivitelline space and zona pellucida than those from control animals. These results suggest that maternal overweight may severely affect the reproductive ability of the offspring, likely as a result of altering the organogenesis.