UNDERNUTRITION THROUGHOUT GESTATION OR IN EITHER HALF OF IT AFFECTS BODY AND TESTICULAR DEVELOPMENT IN NEWBORN RATS

ABSTRACT We studied the effect of gestational undernutrition (50% of ad libitum intake) on body and testicular weight, number of testicular cells: Sertoli cells (SC), gonocytes (G), myoid cells (MC), and Leydig cells (LC); the proportion of each of these cells in proliferation; serum concentrations of IGF-1, testosterone, and their respective testicular receptors. Primiparous Wistar rats were randomly assigned to four groups: control (CC, n=10), undernourished during the 1st half (TC, n=10) or 2nd half (CT, n=10) of gestation, and undernourished throughout gestation (TT, n=10). We measured the diameter of the testicular cords (TCD), calculated their absolute volume (TVA), seminiferous epithelium volume (SEV) and interstitial volume (IV), the number of SC/testis (NST) and per cord section (NSC), and the number of gonocytes per testis (GT). Serum IGF-1 and testosterone concentrations were measured. By immunohistochemistry, we calculated the positivity index (PI) in SC, G, LC, and MC, anti-IGF-1R and anti-AR in testicular histological sections, and we quantified the percentage of them in proliferation (PCNA). BW and TW were affected by our treatment throughout gestation and during the second half of it. The treatment decreased SEV, IV, and TVA, as well as NSC and NST, with the greatest effects observed in TT animals. Differences were observed in AR positivity in MC and LC of CC animals. We found that treatment throughout gestation affected IGF-1R positivity. Finally, treatment caused an increase in cell division in G and a decrease in LC according to their PCNA expression. In conclusion, undernutrition throughout gestation, and especially from the second half of it, affects body weight and testicular weight, morphology, and physiology in newborn animals.