Rabiee Saeed, Zaboli Shiva, Sammak Ali Salehnia, Mohebbi Alireza
Department of Biology, Parand Branch, Islamic Azad University, Parand Branch, Tehran, 3761396361, Iran.
Universitätsmedizin Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
Reprod Sci. 2024 Jul;31(7):1973-1982. doi: 10.1007/s43032-024-01508-9. Epub 2024 Apr 10.
Gravity in space can have a negative impact on the reproductive system. Given that the reproductive system is one of vitamin D's objectives, this study will use a simulated microgravity model to evaluate its impact on the rat reproductive system.Twenty-two male Wistar rats were allocated into four groups at random. Under microgravity circumstances, the rats were housed in both special and standard cages. Each group was then separated into two subgroups, one of which received vitamin D3 and the other did not. Blood was drawn twice to determine blood levels of vitamin D3, LH, FSH, and testosterone. Rat testes were isolated for histological analysis, as well as a piece of epididymis for sperm count and morphological examination.Microgravity had a detrimental effect on testicular tissue, resulting in lower serum levels of LH and testosterone (p-value < 0.001). Spermatogenesis was largely inhibited under microgravity. During microgravity conditions, however, vitamin D3 had a good effect on testicular structure, and the total number of sperm. Simulated microgravity affects the male reproductive system, compromising testicular morphology, sperm parameters, and hormonal balance. However, this study shows that vitamin D3 supplementation can act as a preventative strategy, minimizing the negative consequences of microgravity. The beneficial effect of vitamin D3 on testicular health and sperm quality implies that it may be useful in protecting male reproductive function in space-related situations.
太空环境中的重力会对生殖系统产生负面影响。鉴于生殖系统是维生素D的作用靶点之一，本研究将使用模拟微重力模型来评估其对大鼠生殖系统的影响。22只雄性Wistar大鼠被随机分为四组。在微重力环境下，大鼠被饲养在特殊和标准笼子中。然后每组再分为两个亚组，其中一个亚组给予维生素D3，另一个亚组不给予。两次采血以测定维生素D3、促黄体生成素（LH）、促卵泡生成素（FSH）和睾酮的血液水平。分离大鼠睾丸进行组织学分析，并取一段附睾进行精子计数和形态学检查。微重力对睾丸组织有不良影响，导致血清LH和睾酮水平降低（p值<0.001）。微重力下精子发生受到很大抑制。然而，在微重力条件下，维生素D3对睾丸结构和精子总数有良好影响。模拟微重力会影响雄性生殖系统，损害睾丸形态、精子参数和激素平衡。然而，本研究表明补充维生素D3可作为一种预防策略，将微重力的负面影响降至最低。维生素D3对睾丸健康和精子质量的有益作用表明，它可能有助于保护与太空相关情况下的男性生殖功能。
