Short-term Western-style diet negatively impacts reproductive outcomes in primates

High-Fat Diet and Female Fertility across Lifespan: A Comparative Lesson from Mammal Models

“…More in detail, uncontrolled fat intake may affect both germinal and somatic follicle compartments, with the incidence of obesity earlier in life constituting a further risk for subsequent oocyte development [ 3 ]. The gradual increase of adipose tissue determining severe hyperandrogenism and hyperleptinemia has been associated with altered follicular fluid composition and compromised granulosa cell signaling affecting ovarian performance in early and late stages of follicle development [ 6 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 ]. Below, the effects of high-fat consumption, collected form the systematic literature survey, are classified and listed according to each ovarian follicle developmental stage.…”

“…Secondly, the intake of a high-fat content with diet results in a negative impact on GCs paracrine signaling, determining an alteration of the follicular fluid (FF) composition with increased levels of triglycerides, free fatty acids, and glucose. This ultimately results in the inhibition of estradiol (E2) production which is responsible for an impaired primordial follicle assembly and development from primordial to preantral follicle stage as demonstrated in several animal models, such as mice [ 36 , 56 , 70 ], rats [ 25 , 26 , 32 , 71 , 84 ], pigs [ 28 , 29 , 85 ], and primates [ 30 , 57 , 86 , 87 ].…”

“…Indeed, it stimulates the theca cells to produce androgens and exert a growth stimulatory effect on GCs cells, thus priming the production of estradiol [ 3 ]. Overstimulation of the insulin pathway due to a high-fat diet reinforces the activity of LH on theca cells causing excessive androgen production which in turn contributes to the dysregulation of GCs differentiation in female mice [ 36 , 41 , 46 , 70 , 74 , 75 , 94 , 95 , 96 , 97 ], rats [ 19 , 25 , 26 , 32 , 42 , 71 , 72 , 84 , 98 ], ruminants [ 20 ], pigs [ 28 , 29 , 45 ], rabbits [ 18 ], humans [ 79 ], and non-human primates [ 57 , 86 , 87 ], compromising the follicular progression [ 23 , 99 , 100 ]. As a consequence of GCs dysregulation, a poor follicular vascularization, which at a molecular level is attributable to dysfunctional behavior of the angiogenic factors, such as the vascular–endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) [ 101 , 102 , 103 ], vascular–endothelial growth factor receptor 1 (VEGFR1) [ 104 ], PDGF [ 105 ], transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) [ 106 , 107 ], basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) [ 108 ], angiopoietin 1 and 2 [ 105 , 109 ], and placent...…”

Female infertility and diet, is there a role for a personalized nutritional approach in assisted reproductive technologies? A Narrative Review

“…Another study showed that women undergoing IVF who adhere to the Dutch dietary recommendations (whole wheat bread, monounsaturated or polyunsaturated oils, vegetables, fruit and fish) have an 65% increased chance of ongoing pregnancy (136). On the other hand, the short-term intake of a Western-like diet was found to promote a proinflammatory intrafollicular microenvironment, which is associated with impaired preimplantation development in the female rhesus macaques model (70).…”

“…Low dose DHA supplementation during IVM was associated with improved oocyte development without affecting lipid metabolism gene expression (157). Furthermore, in female rhesus macaques, the intake of Western-like diet was found to be associated with dysregulation of genes involved in mitochondrial function, protein channel activity, RNA binding and cell differentiation (70).…”