THE IMPACT OF OVERNUTRITION AND EXPOSURE TO ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTANT 3-METHYLCHOLAN- THRENE ON TESTICULAR INTEGRITY IN PREPUBERTAL RATS

HEINECKE, FLORENCIA; WHITE, VERÓNICA; MENEGHINI, MARÍA AGUSTINA; GALARZA, ROCIO A; FLORES QUIROGA, JEREMÍAS PABLO; LABIANO, MARINA; FALETTI, ALICIA GRACIELA

Mar del Plata

Congreso; REUNIÓN CONJUNTA SAIC SAB AAFE AACYTAL 2023; 2023

SAIC, SAB, AAFE, AACYTAL

Previously, we observed that male rats that were overweight and/or exposed to 3MC exhibited reduced sperm count and motility, without no significant changes in testicular weight. This study aims to assess whether exposure to the environmental pollutant 3-methylcholanthrene (3MC), known to be an obesogen, may enhance the adverse effects caused by overnutrition on testicular integrity and spermatogenic process. To this end, prepubertal male rats fed standard or cafeteria diet were exposed to a vehicle or a 0.1 mg/kg dose of 3MC three times per week for 40 days. Leading to four experimental groups: controls (SDV), overweight rats (CDV) and SD rats exposed to 3MC (SD3MC), CD rats exposed to 3MC (CD3MC). The body weight and gonadal fat weight were measured at 61 days of age, and the testes were collected. In each group, eight sections of the same testis from five different animals were analyzed. CDV rats had significantly higher body weight than SDV rats (10% p