Impact of High-fat Environment on Ovarian Androgen Synthesis in Rats and the Associated Pathophysiological Changes

摘要

Objective: To analyze the pathophysiological changes of ovary under high-fat environment, determine the effects of hyperlipidemia on polycystic ovary, and explore the intrinsic relationship between the hyperlipidemia and hyperandrogenism. Method: Young female rats were randomly divided into high-fat diet and control groups. Till sexual maturity, the high-fat diet group was fed with 45% high-fat diet than the control group. The dynamic changes in biochemical markers such as blood glucose and sex hormone of high-fat diet group were measured. The ovarian tissues were isolated and hematoxylin and eosin staining and electron microscopy were used to detect the ovarian ultrastructure variations. Variations in the levels of estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and androgen receptor were measured to analyze the possible influence of high-fat diet on ovarian androgen synthesis. Results: In the high-fat diet group, only immature ovarian follicles in large quantity were found and the number of atretic follicles significantly increased. Immunohistochemical studies showed that in the high-fat diet group, expression of ovarian androgen receptor in the theca cell significantly enhanced and expression of the estrogen receptor was slightly elevated. However the level of three receptors mildly elevated in the granulosa cells, but when compared with the control group this difference was not significant. Conclusions: High-fat feeding may promote mature follicles disorder in the ovarian tissues, the theca cell morphology showed the prevalence of hyperfunction, and the expression of androgen receptor significantly increased, providing a reliable pathophysiological basis for the androgen synthesis.