Intergenerational high-fat diet impairs ovarian follicular development in rodents: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Abstract Context Excessive consumption of high-fat diets has increased in the population over time and is harmful to female fertility. Objective To investigate and discuss the effects of a high-fat diet on ovarian follicles in rodents. Data source A systematic literature search of PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and SCOPUS was carried out. Data Extraction Study characteristics, including study design, population, intervention, outcome, and risk of bias were analyzed. Data Analysis Twenty-two articles were included in a systematic review. Given the availability of studies, a quantitative meta-analysis included 12 studies that were performed for outcomes. There was a decrease in primordial follicles in female rodents that received a high-fat diet compared with the standard diet group. The offspring of mothers exposed to a high-fat diet showed an increased number of cystic follicles and a decreased number of secondary follicles and antral follicles, compared with the control diet group. Therefore, these high-fat diet–induced follicular alterations might impair the fertility of dams and their female newborns. Conclusion The consumption of a high-fat diet causes damage to ovarian follicular development, and this commitment will persist in the next generation. Systematic Review Registration PROSPERO registration no. CRD42019133865.