Semen quality and male fertility depend on numerous factors such as age, environment, lifestyle, physical activity, genetic background and occupation. We aimed to access the effect of aerobic exercise, low- and high-fat diet on mice testis tissue, and sperm function. Obese and nonobese male mice C57BL/6 were exposed to high fat (Hf) or low fat (Lf) and/or activity (Exe: exercise or Sed: sedentary). Finally, testicular morphometric characteristics, sperm concentration and motility (light microscopy), sperm morphology (eosin/nigrosin dye), lipid peroxidation (BODIPY C11 Probe), chromatin (acridine orange and chromomycin A3 staining) were compared within obese groups (Hf/Exe, Lf/Exe, Lf/Sed, Hf/Sed) and nonobese groups (Hf/Exe, Lf/Exe, Lf/Sed, Hf/Sed). Both exercise and diet interventions did not show any alteration in testicular morphological characteristics, sperm morphology and DNA fragmentation within both obese and nonobese groups (p > 0.05). Exercise and/or diet resulted in a significant increase in sperm concentration and motility within both groups (p < 0.05). Exercise in both groups leads to high percentage of lipid peroxidation (p < 0.05). Exercise intervention significantly improved sperm protamine deficiency within obese group (p < 0.05). We concluded that exercise intervention was more effective than diet in improvement of sperm function within obese groups.
Keywords: DNA damage; diet; exercise; lipid peroxidation; sperm parameters.
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