CHANGES IN THE DIET GENERATE ALTERATIONS IN LIPIDS AND CHOLESTEROL METABOLISM, SPECIFICALLY SREBP-2 (STEROL- REGULATORY- BINDING- PROTEIN) IN TESTICLES OF HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIC RABBITS

FUNES, ABI K.; MONCLUS, MARÍA A.; CORTESE LEANDRO; BOARELLI, PAOLA V.; CRESCITELLI, JULIETA; FORNÉS, MIGUEL W.; COLOMBO, REGINA; M INÉS CONTE; SAEZ LANCELLOTTI, TANIA E.

Mendoza

Congreso; XXXVI REUNIÓN CIENTIFICA ANUAL DE LA SOCIEDAD DE BIOLOGÍA DE CUYO; 2018

The relationship between hypercholesterolemia and reduced male fertility has been reported previously. Hypercholesterolemic rabbits (HCR) were associated with deleterious changes in semen and sperm cells: seminal volume was decreased and sperm membrane was overloaded with cholesterol. Olive Oil (OO) supplementation (7% v/p) improved semen parameters affected by high fat diet. The increase in membrane cholesterol could be due to changes in intracellular metabolism of this lipid. New Zealand White rabbits were fed commercial rabbit pellet (normocholesterolemic rabbits: NCR), plus 14% bovine grease (HCR) or 7% bovine grease plus OO (7%) (½HCR + ½OO). Group HCR was subdivided, according to diet time, into HCR 3M and HCR 6M (3 and 6 months of diet, respectively). Variations in the neutral fat labeling, lipids and sterols were observed between the different experimental groups. Within molecular regulation, SREBP (Sterol- Regulatory-Binding-Protein) proteins are essential for biogenesis and membrane homeostasis. Protein expression, detected by western blot showed a significant decrease in HCR testis. SREBP target molecules followed the same pattern. ½HCR + ½OO showed a recovery in the expression of the mentioned proteins. In addition, it was possible to observe the subcellular location of the protein SREBP-2 in testicular tissue, detected by indirected immunofluorescence. Taken together, testicular subcellular protein expression and localization found in HCR could be related to changes in metabolic status of testis. OO was able to improve the majority of altered parameters in dietary acquired hypercholesterolemia.