An experimental study on shrimp bioactive peptides restoring testicular function in a rat model of fatty liver disease via autophagy, redox balance, and energy transporters

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is a widely prevalent condition in the modern era, with potential adverse effects on fertility and the reproductive system. Objective: This experimental study investigated the adverse effects of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) on testicular structural integrity, with a focus on oxidative stress and metabolic alterations. Materials and Methods: To produce bioactive peptides (HPs), whiteleg shrimp by-products were hydrolyzed using alcalase at ۵۰°C for ۳ hr. For this experimental study, ۲۴ male Wistar rats (۲۳۰ ± ۲۳.۱ gr, ۸ wk) were randomly assigned to ۴ groups (n = ۶/each): control (standard diet), HFD-sole, HFD+HP۲۰ (HFD supplemented with ۲۰ mg/kg bodyweight of bioactive peptides), and HFD+HP۳۰۰ (HFD supplemented with ۳۰۰ mg/kg BW of bioactive peptides). After ۱۰ wk of dietary intervention, testicular tissues were subjected to histological, molecular, and oxidative stress analyses. Results: After ۷۰ days, the HFD group showed higher malondialdehyde and glutathione, but a lower glutathione/glutathione disulphide ratio (۴۰%, p < ۰.۰۰۱), indicating reductive stress. HPs, especially at higher doses, alleviated stress, improved seminiferous tubule morphology, and increased tubular differential index and spermiogenesis index indices. Autophagy genes (Beclin۱, Atg۷, LC۳-I, p۶۲) rose in HFD but were downregulated by HPs. Glucose transporter ۱, ۳ (GLUT-۱+, GLUT-۳+) and monocarboxylate transporter ۴ cell distributions decreased in HFD but were restored in HP-received groups. Conclusion: HPs improved tubular differential index and spermiogenesis index values associated with restored GLUT-۱/۳ and monocarboxylate transporter ۴ expression in Sertoli cells, suggesting that Sertoli cells provided enhanced metabolic support for germ cell development.

کلیدواژه ها:

NAFLD ، Bioactive peptides ، Oxidative stress ، Autophagy ، Spermatogenesis ، Gene expression ، Rat. ، کبد چرب غیرالکلی ، پپتیدهای زیست فعال ، استرس اکسیداتیو ، اتوفاژی ، اسپرماتوژنز ، بیان ژن ، رت.