260. Effects of diet-induced obesity on ovarian function and female fertility

Abstract

Obesity and its related complications (metabolic syndrome, Type II diabetes and polycystic ovary syndrome) are increasingly associated with female infertility. Our research is focused on understanding how diet-induced obesity, which triggers insulin resistance and symptoms of chronic inflammation, directly impacts ovarian function and female fertility. Female mice were maintained on a “Western style” diet (22% fat, 0.15% cholesterol) or a matched control diet. Body weights were monitored weekly and after 16 weeks fasting insulin levels and glucose tolerance were assessed. Mice were then paired with males and tissues collected on day 1 on pregnancy. Blood samples were taken to determine levels of progesterone, metabolites (glucose, HDL/LDL) and inflammatory cytokines. Tissue weights (fat pads, liver, kidney, spleen, pancreas, ovary and uterus) were recorded and the reproductive tissues were fixed for analysis of histology and gene expression. Zygotes were isolated from the oviduct, cultured in vitro and scored for on-time development and differentially stained to assess blastocyst quality. Indices of ovarian function, including ovulation rate, steroid production and oocyte quality/blastocyst development will then be correlated with degrees of insulin resistance, dyslipidemia and inflammation. Five strains of mice were tested (CBA, Balb/c, C57, SV129 and Swiss) and showed significant differences in susceptibility to diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance. In CBA mice, the first group to be completed, the high fat diet significantly increased body weight, but did not result in overtly impaired glucose tolerance. The number of days to mating was slightly extended compared to mice on the control diet. Interestingly, the high fat diet did not affect ovulation rate but resulted in dramatically impaired blastocyst development. The results of this study will reveal how ovarian folliculogenesis, oocyte competence and ovulation are affected by obesity-induced metabolic changes, which are increasingly affecting women of reproductive age.