Protein restriction during intrauterine and lactation periods: effects on testicular development in pre-puberty rats/Restricao proteica durante os periodos intrauterino e lactacional: efeitos no desenvolvimento testicular de ratos pre-puberes

• Published in: Acta scientiarum. Biological sciences 2015-01, p.107
• Main Authors: de Oliveira, Jessica Santana, Silva, Alluanan Adelson do Nascimento, Magalhaes, Carolina Peixoto, de Souza, Sandra Lopez, da Silva, Jr., Valdemiro Amaro, de Melo, Elizabeth Neves
• Format: Article
• Language: Spanish
• ISSN: 1679-9283
• DOI: 10.4025/actascibiolsci.v37i1.21929

Current study investigates the effects of maternal protein restriction during pregnancy and lactation on the testis of immature rats. Female Wistar rats were mated and, after confirming pregnancy, they were divided into two groups: undernourished group (UG) fed on a diet with casein 8%, and control group (CG) fed on a diet with casein 17 %, during pregnancy and lactation. After weaning, male offspring from the two experimental groups were fed on normal diet up to 35 days old when they were euthanized. Body and testicular weights decreased in UG when compared to those in CG. Volumetric density of seminiferous tubules was higher in CG whilst intertubular space increased in UG. The number of lumenated seminiferous tubules was higher in CG than in UG. Tubular diameter, seminiferous epithelium height and total length of seminiferous tubules were lower in UG. Round spermatids were frequently found in seminiferous tubules cross-section of CG. On the other hand, spermatocytes I in prophases was the germ cell commonly found in seminiferous tubules cross-sections of UG. Undernutrition during pregnancy and lactation period of the male Wistar rats altered the morphometric testicular parameters related to tubular compartment and delayed the onset of spermatogenesis. Keywords: testes, seminiferous tubules, morphometry, undernutrition O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar o efeito da restricao proteica materna durante prenhez e lactacao no testiculo de ratos imaturos. Femeas de ratos Wistar foram acasaladas e, uma vez confirmada a gestacao, foram divididas em dois grupos e alimentadas durante a prenhez e a lactacao: grupo desnutrido (GD), dieta com caseina 8%, e grupo controle (GC), dieta com caseina 17%. Apos o desmame, os machos de ambas as proles receberam a dieta normal ate os 35 dias de idade, quando ocorreu a eutanasia. O peso corporal e o peso testicular diminuiram no GD com relacao ao GC. A densidade volumetrica dos tubulos seminiferos foi maior no GC, assim como o espaco intertubular aumentou no GD. O numero de tubulos seminiferos luminados foi maior no GC comparado ao GD. Diametro tubular, altura do epitelio seminifero e comprimento total dos tubulos seminiferos diminuiram no GD. Espermatides arredondadas foram frequentemente encontradas nas secoes transversais do GC. Por outro lado, espermatocitos I em profase foram o tipo celular mais frequentemente encontrado no GD. A desnutricao durante a gestacao e a lactacao em ratos Wistar machos alteraram parametros mo