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Dietary calcium improves the reproductive functions against high-fat diet (HFD)–induced testicular toxicity in male obese rats

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Abstract

Introduction

Obesity-associated metabolic disorders are often associated with reproductive disorders affecting the spermatogenesis program and infertility. Recently, dietary calcium has shown a protective effect against obesity and its associated metabolic disorders. Calcium is a common nutrient in our daily diet with a diverse physiological role, but its role against reproductive function during obesity remains unknown.

Purpose

The present study aimed to investigate the dietary effect of calcium against male reproductive function in high-fat diet (HFD) rats.

Methods

Male rats were randomly divided into four groups: the control group, the HFD obese group, the low calcium (0.25% Ca) HFD group, and the high calcium (1.0%Ca) HFD group. The rats were fed with the low or high-calcium diet for 12 weeks after inducing obesity. At the end of the study, several reproductive markers including sperm count, testicular steroidogenic enzymatic activity, testosterone, antioxidant, inflammatory and apoptotic markers were studied.

Results

High calcium (1.0% Ca) group was found to improve the reproductive parameters like sperm count, sperm motility, testosterone level, and steroidogenic enzymes indicating improvement in spermatogenesis which is affected by diet-induced obesity. These improvements in reproductive parameters are improved by restoring the physiological balance between antioxidant and oxidative stress levels and reducing the inflammatory and apoptosis markers in the high calcium group.

Conclusion

High calcium diet during obese conditions seemed to improve the male reproductive parameters and spermatogenesis program thereby preventing the risk of obesity-associated male infertility.

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Data availability

The authors confirm that the data supporting the findings of this study are available within the article.

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Acknowledgements

Financial support for the project by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Govt. of India, New Delhi is deeply acknowledged. The Infrastructural facility provided by The State Biotech Hub, Tripura University is acknowledged.

Funding

This study was funded by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Govt. of India, grant number (5/7/1213/2014-RCH and 5/7/1617/2018 RBMH & CH).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Human Physiology, Tripura University (A Central University), Suryamaninagar, Agartala, Tripura, 799022, India

    Soma Choudhuri, Susmita Sarkar, Panisree R. Chowdhury, Dipayan Choudhuri & Sandeep Das

  2. Department of Physiology, Tripura Medical College & Dr. B R Ambedkar Teaching Hospital, Agartala, Tripura, 799014, India

    Soma Choudhuri

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  1. Soma Choudhuri
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Contributions

Conception and design: Sandeep Das and Dipayan Choudhuri. Acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data: Soma Choudhuri, Sandeep Das, Susmita Sarkar, Panisree Roy Chowdhury, and Dipayan Choudhuri. Drafting the manuscript: Soma Choudhuri and Sandeep Das. Supervision: Sandeep Das and Dipayan Choudhuri. All authors read and approved the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sandeep Das.

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Ethics approval

The entire study was in conducted healthy male Wistar albino rats purchased from a government-registered animal supplier (Reg. No. 1443/PO/b/11/CPCSEA) nominated by Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CPCSEA), Ministry of Environment and Forests Govt of India. The entire study protocol was approved and followed by the guidelines of the Institutional Animal Ethical Committee, Tripura University (Ref.No: TU/IAEC/2014/VIII/2-6 dated 12.09.2014).

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Choudhuri, S., Sarkar, S., Chowdhury, P.R. et al. Dietary calcium improves the reproductive functions against high-fat diet (HFD)–induced testicular toxicity in male obese rats. Nutrire 48, 55 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41110-023-00243-6

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