Reproduction Abstracts

Introduction: Recent studies indicate that dietary habits and hyperandrogenemia influence ovarian function in women. However, data are limited regarding the effects of western-style diet (WSD) and androgen (e.g. T) on follicle development, especially during the early follicular stage, in primates. The current study investigated the impact of WSD alone and with chronic T exposure on gene expression in small antral follicles (SAFs) of macaques.

Materials and methods: Macaques (n=3/group) received s.c. implants without or with T (to increase serum levels three to four fold; P<0.05) beginning at 1 year of age, followed by a WSD (high fat/fructose) at 5.5 years. A control group (n=3) without T treatment was fed a regular diet. Ovaries were collected at 7 years. SAFs (~1 mm in diameter) were isolated for total RNA extraction. RNA samples were amplified, labeled, and hybridized to a Rhesus GeneChip for microarray. Data were analyzed using GeneSifter and one-way ANOVA.

Results and discussion: The mRNA levels for 1334 genes changed >1.5-fold (P<0.05) among the three groups. The top z-scores of biological processes were 4.80 (cellular component organization or biogenesis), 3.71 (cellular processes), and 3.58 (metabolic processes). Compared with controls, AR, ERα, and FSHR levels were significantly lower in WSD and WSDT groups, while ERβ, PR, and StAR levels did not change. Gene expression levels of LHCGR were significantly lower in WSD group than those of control and WSDT groups. The results indicate that WSD with/without T affects SAFs biogenic and metabolic processes. Changes in hormone receptors in SAFs may affect follicular development and dominant follicle selection.