Abstract
BackgroundThe metabolic syndrome (MetS) is correlated with disorders of the reproductive system, such as the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). While consumption of a diet rich in carbohydrates is linked to the development of MetS, it is still unclear if this diet leads to ovarian dysfunction and PCOS.ObjectivesWe investigated the influence of a high-sucrose diet (HSD) on the ovarian milieu of Wistar rats and studied the correlation between high consumption of sugary drinks and the prevalence of PCOS in women.MethodsWistar rats were given a standard laboratory diet (CTR, 10% sucrose, n = 8) or HSD (HSD, 25% sucrose, n = 8) from postnatal day 21 to 120. Animals were evaluated weekly to calculate food intake, feed efficiency and weight gain. Both onset of puberty and estrous cycle were monitored. Metabolic serum biochemistry, organ morphometry and ovarian histology were performed upon euthanasia. In parallel, a fixed-effects multiple linear regression analysis was performed using data from Brazilian states (459 state-year observations) to test the correlation between the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (surrogate for HSD intake) and the prevalence of PCOS (surrogate for ovarian dysfunction).ResultsHSD animals showed increased adipose tissue accumulation, hyperglycaemia and insulin resistance when compared to CTR. Interestingly HSD rats also entered puberty earlier than CTR. Moreover, ovaries from HSD animals had an increased number of atretic antral follicles and cystic follicles, which were correlated with the hypertrophy of periovarian adipocytes. Finally, there was a positive correlation between the intake of sugary drinks and prevalence of PCOS in women of reproductive age.ConclusionsHSD ingestion leads to ovarian dysfunction in rats and could be correlated with PCOS in women, suggesting these alterations could lead to public health issues. Therefore, we reinforce the deleterious impact of HSD to the ovarian system and suggest that the reduction of added sugars intake could be beneficial to ovarian health.
Highlights
Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is defined as the presence of at least three of the following: obesity, insulin resistance (IR), dyslipidaemia, hypertension and increased fasting glycaemia [1]
We investigated the influence of a high-sucrose diet (HSD) on the ovarian milieu of Wistar rats and studied the correlation between high consumption of sugary drinks and the prevalence of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in women
HSD animals showed increased adipose tissue accumulation, hyperglycaemia and insulin resistance when compared to CTR
Summary
Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is defined as the presence of at least three of the following: obesity, insulin resistance (IR), dyslipidaemia, hypertension and increased fasting glycaemia [1]. It is estimated that 16.8% of men and 24.4% of women are obese in Brazil [8], suggesting that high prevalence of obesity is associated with excessive intake of dietary sugars. This is of particular importance, since MetS and obesity generate a high burden to both the individual and the health care system because of their association with increased risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and reproductive disorders [9]. While consumption of a diet rich in carbohydrates is linked to the development of MetS, it is still unclear if this diet leads to ovarian dysfunction and PCOS
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