Dietary Supplements of Barley and Date-Palm Fruit Improved the Growth Defects of Ovaries of Rat Offspring Maternally Fed on Hypercholesterolemic Diet

Abstract

Increased consumption of processing food items rich in fat diet increased lipid laden products in body organs and developed obesity. It is also associated with the development of infertility. The present study designed to illustrate the developmental aspects of ovaries of offspring maternally fed on a high cholesterol diet and how supplementation of barley and date palm fruit to this die improved the ovarian structure and function. Ninety-six pregnant Wister albino rats categorized into eight groups (n=12); control (C), barley (B) (20%), dates (D) (20%) , barley & dates (10+10%) , hypercholesterolemic- (H), hypercholesterolemic & barley (H+B), hypercholesterolemic & dates (H+D) and hypercholesterolemic & barley & dates groups (H+B+D). Hypercholesterolemic diet (3% cholesterol) was intake for 6 weeks before conception and throughout gestation and lactation period. At 2 and 3 weeks post- partum, the offspring were sacrificed and their ovaries were removed and processed for histological, immunohistochemical and transmission electron microscopy. Sera and ovaries of the other groups were kept in refrigerator for biochemical investigations. The present findings revealed loss of ovarian follicles in offspring maternally fed in hypercholesterolemic groups associated with decreased expression of PCNA and over expression of caspase 3 and flow-cytometric analysis of annexin V manifesting cell death. At transmission electron microscopy, the ovaries of hypercholesterolemic group exhibited dense chromatin condensation of the nuclei of oocyte and follicle cells. On the other hand, the ovaries of offspring maternally fed on hypercholesterolemic diet plus barley and date palm fruit improved the decreased activities of catalase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione-s- transferase in comparison with the control. However, there was a marked increase of malondialdehyde, 8-hydroxy-2`-deoxyguanosine, caspase 3 and tumor necrosis factor-α in comparison with the control. Also, the sera levels of hyperocholesterolemic mothers such as follicle stimulating hormone, estradiol, and antimullerian hormone were almost retained to the normal level in animal groups fed on hypercholesterolemic diet containing dates /or barley grains. The authors finally concluded that offspring maternally fed on hypercholesterolemic diet developed reduction of ovarian follicular reserve, increases lipid peroxidation and altered maternal reproductive hormone involved in ovarian development. These dramatic alterations were improved post supplementing date palm fruits and/barley to the hypercholesterolemic diet.