Institute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, HuaZhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
Department of Oncology, Jiangxi Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanchang, China.
Front Immunol. 2021 Jun 25;12:639239. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.639239. eCollection 2021.
Obesity is a recognized risk factor for low fertility and is becoming increasingly prevalent in many countries around the world. Obesity changes intestinal microbiota composition, causes inflammation of various organs, and also reduces sperm quality. Several microorganisms are present in the testis. However, whether obesity affects the changes of testicular microbiota and whether these changes are related to reduced fertility in obese men remain to be elucidated.
In the present study, a zebrafish obesity model was established by feeding with egg yolk powder. Sperm motility was measured by the Computer Assisted Sperm Analysis system, testicular microbial communities was assessed 16s RNA sequencing, the immune response in zebrafish testis was quantified by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the testicular tissue structure was detected by electron microscopy and hematoxylin-eosin staining.
Compared with the control group, zebrafish sperm motility was dramatically reduced, the expression of testicular proinflammatory cytokines in the testes was upregulated, and the blood-testis barrier structure was disrupted in the obese group. In addition, testicular microbiome composition was clearly altered in the obese group.
Obesity alters testicular microbiota composition, and the reason behind the decreased sperm motility in obese zebrafish may be related to changes in the testicular microbial communities.
肥胖是低生育力的公认危险因素,在世界许多国家越来越普遍。肥胖改变了肠道微生物群的组成,引起各种器官的炎症,也降低了精子的质量。睾丸中存在几种微生物。然而,肥胖是否会影响睾丸微生物群的变化,以及这些变化是否与肥胖男性生育力下降有关,仍有待阐明。
本研究通过给斑马鱼喂食蛋黄粉建立了肥胖模型。通过计算机辅助精子分析系统测量精子活力,通过 16s RNA 测序评估睾丸微生物群落,通过定量实时聚合酶链反应和酶联免疫吸附试验量化斑马鱼睾丸中的免疫反应,通过电子显微镜和苏木精-伊红染色检测睾丸组织结构。
与对照组相比,肥胖组斑马鱼精子活力明显下降,睾丸中促炎细胞因子的表达上调,血睾屏障结构被破坏。此外,肥胖组睾丸微生物群组成明显改变。
肥胖改变了睾丸微生物群的组成,肥胖斑马鱼精子活力下降的原因可能与睾丸微生物群落的变化有关。