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Could parental high-fat intake program the reproductive health of male offspring? A review.

Critical reviews in food science and nutrition
January 1, 2023
Marcela Nascimento Sertorio et al. (4 authors)
ReviewJournal ArticleHuman Study
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to investigate the effects of parental high-fat diet (HFD) intake on the reproductive health of male offspring, including potential multigenerational impacts.

Results Summary

Parental HFD intake was found to impair male offspring reproductive health, including reduced testosterone production, poor sperm quality, and potential risks for prostate hyperplasia and cancer. These effects could extend to subsequent generations.

Population

Male offspring of parents consuming a high-fat diet prior to conception, during gestation, and lactation.

Effective Dosage

Not specified

Duration

Not specified

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (12)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
High-fat diet (HFD) intake
increase
overweight and obesity
global public
-
can cause
#1
Nutritional adversity at vulnerable windows of development
decrease
developing cells and their functions, including germ cells
-
-
can affect
#2
parental HFD intake prior to conception and/or during gestation and lactation
decrease
reproductive health of male offspring
male offspring
-
could program
#3
parental HFD intake prior to conception and/or during gestation and lactation
decrease
the first as well as subsequent generations
first as well as subsequent generations
-
resulting in impairment of
#4
adipose tissue and hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis imbalance
decrease
production of gonadotropins
male offspring
-
can impair
#5
adipose tissue and hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis imbalance
decrease
testosterone production and pubertal onset
male offspring
-
leading to dysfunction of
#6
oxidative stress
decrease
testosterone production and spermatogenesis
-
-
causing poor
#7
oxidative stress
decrease
low sperm count, viability, and motility; and abnormal sperm morphology
-
-
causing
#8
oxidative stress
decrease
low sperm quality
-
-
results in
#9
Parental HFD intake
increase
prostate hyperplasia and cancer
advanced age
-
could also be a risk factor for
#10
Parental HFD intake
decrease
reproductive pattern of male offspring
male offspring
-
can impact
#11
Parental HFD intake
decrease
the subsequent generations
subsequent generations
-
resulting in impairments in
#12
Abstract

High-fat diet (HFD) intake can cause overweight and obesity and has become a global public health concern in recent years. Nutritional adversity at vulnerable windows of development can affect developing cells and their functions, including germ cells. Evidence shows that parental HFD intake prior to conception and/or during gestation and lactation could program the reproductive health of male offspring, ultimately resulting in impairment of the first as well as subsequent generations. In male offspring, adipose tissue and hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis imbalance can impair the production of gonadotropins, leading to dysfunction of testosterone production and pubertal onset. The gonads can be directly impaired through oxidative stress, causing poor testosterone production and spermatogenesis; low sperm count, viability, and motility; and abnormal sperm morphology, which results in low sperm quality. Parental HFD intake could also be a risk factor for prostate hyperplasia and cancer in advanced age. It can impact the reproductive pattern of male offspring resulting in impairments in the subsequent generations. The investigation of semen quality must be extended to epidemiological and clinical studies of the male offspring of overweight and/or obese parents in order to improve the quality of human semen. This review addresses the effects of parental HFD intake on the reproductive parameters of male offspring and discusses the possible underlying mechanisms.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
FemaleMaleHumansSemen AnalysisOverweightReproductive HealthSemenObesityTestosteroneParents
Study Links
Quality Scores
Safety20
Efficacy75/10
Quality80/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations7
Citations/Year3.5
Relative Citation Ratio1.75
NIH Percentile70.2%
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.25
Weight Score2.75
Normalized Score0.54
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