#126 : The Effect of Maternal Low Protein Diet on Sertoli Cell Population and Testicular Vacuoles in Male Offspring

Abstract

Background and Aims: Several studies have found that diet is critical during a female’s pregnancy. The nutritional condition of pregnant women can have long-term consequences for their children, particularly the growth of the reproductive system. However, previous studies have various opinions regarding whether or not the nutritional status of the maternal correlates with seminiferous tubule diameter and the Sertoli cell amount of their offspring. This study aims to observe the effect of low protein diet on pregnant mice towards the offspring’s seminiferous tubule diameter, Sertoli cell, and vacuole. Method: Ten female ddY mice were split into two groups and given two months of treatment with either a normal protein diet (14%) or a low protein diet (10%). The mice were mated to produce offspring after treatment. Each group had five male progenies that were raised until they were three months old before being terminated to retrieve their testicles. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used for histological analysis of the testicle sample. Testicles samples were observed for seminiferous tubule, Sertoli cell, and vacuole. Data was presented as mean & standard deviation. ANOVA and the Mann-Whitney U test was used to analyze the data. Statistical significance was accepted at p<0.05. Results: There were no statistical differences between the offspring’s seminiferous tubule diameter and Sertoli cell count in the normal protein diet group and the low protein diet group (6.28±1.79 vs 6.47±0.79; 4.72±3.13 vs 4.84±2.81). On the contrary, the low protein diet group has a higher vacuole amount than the normal protein diet group (6.76±4.59 vs 3.64±3.07; P=0.004). Conclusion: A maternal low-protein diet did not affect the Sertoli cell population or the length of the child’s seminiferous tubules but led to a significant increase in vacuoles.