EFFECT OF LIRAGLUTIDE ON BLOOD-TESTIS BARRIER FUNCTION IN JUVENILE RATS

DASSO, MARINA ERCILIA; CENTOLA, CECILIA LUCIA; SORIA, JULIO DANIEL; SOBARZO, CRISTIAN; BALLERINI, MARÍA GABRIELA; GALARDO, MARIA NOEL; MERONI, SILVINA BEATRIZ; RIERA, MARIA FERNANDA

Mar del Plata, Provincia de Buenos Aires

Congreso; LXVIII Reunión Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Investigación Clínica; 2023

Sociedad Argentina de Investigación Clínica (SAIC)

Liraglutide (Lira), an analogue of glucagon like peptide 1, is widely used for treating adult patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes. The rates of obesity continue to grow in children and therefore it has been recently approved for use in children over 10 years old. However, little is known about Lira effects on testicular function. The blood-testis barrier (BTB), composed of junctions between Sertoli cells (SC), isolates germ cells, providing an adequate microenvironment for their development. Consequently, defects in the BTB lead to harmful effects on testicular function. At present, no studies have been conducted to assess if early-life administration of Lira represents any potential risk to BTB establishment. Thus, the aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of Lira on BTB integrity in vivo. To this end, Sprague Dawley male rats were randomly assigned to the following groups: Lira (receiving daily 0,2 mg/kg Lira s.c.) and control (C; sterile saline solution s.c.) from postnatal day (Pnd) 20 to Pnd33, period of life that is essential to complete a functional BTB. The BTB integrity was evaluated on Pnd34 using a biotinylated tracer. Histological analysis was also performed. The results showed that Lira group exhibited a significant increase in BTB permeability compared to controls (C: 5.5±1.5; Lira: 11.9±3; n=9; p