Abstract
Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is known for its multiple benefits including improvement of growth, increasing lean mass, and anti-carcinogenic effects. However, when used in long-term supplementations CLA does not improve semen parameters in boar and bull and reduces fertility in Japanese quails. The content of unsaturated fatty acids in dietary lipids plays a significant role in spermatogenesis owning the high proportion of unsaturated fatty acids in plasma membrane of sperms. Whether CLA plays a role in testicular tissue and epididymal fat is still unknown. Therefore, in this study we hypothesize that long-term supplementation of equal proportion of CLA isomer mix (c9,t11-CLA and t10,c12- CLA) in rabbit bucks might alter male reproductive potentials. Twelve V-Line weaned male rabbits were used in 26 weeks trial, rabbits were individually raised and randomly allocated into three dietary groups. Control group (CON) received a basal diet, a group received 0.5% CLA (CLA 0.5%), and a group received 1% CLA (CLA 1%). Rabbits were euthanized at the end of the trial and several parameters were evaluated related to growth, semen quality, and testicular and epididymal tissue histopathology and transcriptome. The long-term supplementation of CLA increased feed intake by 5% and body weight by 2–3%. CLA 1% decreased sperm progressive motility. In testicular tissue L-carnitine and α-tocopherol were decreased by CLA supplementation. In epididymal fat, CLA tended to decrease concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids, the expression of SCD5 gene was upregulated by CLA 1% and CASP3 gene was upregulated by CLA 0.5%. Transcription of PPARG was downregulated by CLA. Feeding 1% CLA also decreased testicular epithelial thickness. Long-term supplementation of CLA modestly enhanced male rabbit growth, but negatively impacted male reproduction, especially at high dose of CLA.
Highlights
The discovery of anticancer properties made the conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) top-studied fatty acid by the scientific community [1]
Multiple studies were conducted to investigate the beneficial effects of CLA, which include enhancement of immune function and decrease inflammation in several animal models [2,3]
Rabbits were blocked for body weight 605 g (±33.5; P = 0.99) and randomly allocated into three iso-nitrogenous-iso-caloric dietary treatments (n = 4/group) as follows: 1) Control group (CON) group fed basal diet supplemented with 1% oleic acid (Techno Pharmachem, India), 2) CLA 0.5% group was fed on diet supplemented with 0.5% CLA (Lutrell Pure; BASF, Ludwigshafen, Germany; certified to contain equal proportion of c9, t11- and t10,c12-CLA; EFSA, 2016) plus 0.5% oleic acid, and 3) CLA 1% group was fed a diet supplemented with 1% CLA
Summary
The discovery of anticancer properties made the conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) top-studied fatty acid by the scientific community [1]. Despite the above-mentioned beneficial effects of CLA and the wide use of it as a dietary supplement in human and animals, the effects of long-term supplementation of CLA on body weight and male reproduction are very limited. To the authors’ knowledge, the effects of long-term CLA supplementation on growth and male reproductive organs in male rabbit have not been investigated. This study hypothesized that long-term dietary CLA supplementation enhances growth but has a negative impact on male reproduction in rabbit bucks. For this purpose, semen of rabbits was evaluated and testicular and epididymal tissue samples were subjected to histopathological and transcriptomic assessments
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