Reproductive performance of male mice after hypothalamic ghrelin administration

PORETTI MB; FRAUTSCHI C; LUQUE EM; BIANCONI S; MARTINI AC; STUTZ G; VINCENTI LM; SANTILLÁN ME; PONZIO MF; SCHIÖTH HB; FIOL DE CUNEO M; CARLINI V

REPRODUCTION

BIOSCIENTIFICA LTD

Lugar: Bristol; Año: 2018 vol. 156 p. 121 - 132

1470-1626

It has been demonstrated that food intake and reproductive physiology are both simultaneously modulated to optimize reproductive success under fluctuating metabolic conditions. Ghrelin (Ghr) is an orexigenic peptide identified as the endogenous ligand of the growth hormone secretagogue receptor that is being investigated for its potential role on reproduction. Considering that data available so far are still limited and characterization of Ghr action mechanism on the reproductive system has not been fully elucidated, we studied the hypothalamus participation in Ghr effects on sperm functional activity, plasma levels of gonodotropins and histological morphology in mice testes after hypothalamic infusion of 0.3 or 3.0 nmol/day Ghr or artificial cerebrospinal fluid (ACSF) at different treatment periods. We found that Ghr 3.0 nmol/day administration for 42 days significantly reduced sperm concentration (Ghr 3.0 nmol/day: 14.05±2.44 x106/ml vs. ACSF: 20.33±1.35 x106/ml, p< 0.05) and motility (Ghr 3.0 nmol/day: 59.40±4.20% vs. ACSF: 75.80±1.40%, p< 0.05). In addition, histological studies showed a significant decrease percentage of spermatogonia (Ghr 3.0 nmol/day: 6,76±0,68% vs. ACSF: 9,56±0,41%, p< 0.05) and sperm (Ghr 3.0 nmol/day: 24,24±1,92% vs. ACSF: 31,20±3,06%, p< 0.05). These results were associated with a significant reduction in luteinizing hormone and testosterone plasma levels (p