EFFECT OF OLIVE OIL INTAKE ON CHOLESTEROL METABOLISM IN HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIC RABBITS

LAYLA SIMÓN; FERNANDO FOURNIER; AIDA A. ROMERO; ABI K. FUNES; JAKOVCEVIC DAIANA; JAPUR MARTIN; PAOLA V. BOARELLI; MARIA A. MONCLUS; NIUBYS CAYADO; MARIA E. CABRILLANA; AMANDA E. VINCENTI; TANIA E. SAEZ LANCELLOTI; MIGUEL W. FORNÉS

Valdivia

Congreso; XXIV Reunión de la Sociedad Chilena de Reproducción y Desarrollo.; 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 quality that may lead to male infertility. We have previously found that hypercholesterolemic rabbits (HCR) have poor semen quality, and OO supplementation improved sperm physiology and semen parameters affected by high saturated-fat consumption. Our interest resides in studying -at molecular level- the intracellular pathway of cholesterol metabolism in testis, in order to find out the cause that ultimately led to altered semen parametersand its reversion by OO intake. Twenty New Zeland rabbits were randomly distributed in experimental groups: NCR (normal cholesterolemic rabbits); HCR(developed by feeding normal rabbits with 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 intracellular 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 demonstrate that OO improves semen quality in our rabbit model of HC, and suggests that the mechanisms accounting for this protective effect likely involves complex alterations in cellular metabolism beyond simply a reduction in cholesterol.