Mouse Plasma Progesterone Levels are Affected by Different Dietary ω6/ω3 Ratios.

An imbalance in the dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) ω6/ω3 ratio, could infl uence negatively the reproductive performance. The aim of the study was to assess the eff ects of chronic administration of diets enriched with soybean or sunflower oils with different ω6/ω3 ratios on the reproductive parameters of adult female mice. Mice were fed diff erent diets for 90 days: a commercial diet (CD), a 5 or 10 % soy oil-enriched diet (SOD5 and SOD10, respectively), and a 5 or 10 % sunflower oil-enriched diet (SFOD5 and SFOD10, respectively). The parameters evaluated were: body weight and food intake, estrous cycle, plasma progesterone concentration, ovulation rate, and oocyte quality. Progesterone concentrations (ng/ml) were significantly higher in the SFOD10: 14.9 ± 2.8 vs CD: 5.4 ± 1.2; SOD5: 5.6 ± 1.1 and SFOD5: 4.6 ± 1.4. Additional parameters evaluated were not affected. However, metestrous and luteal phases were shorter in subjects receiving SOD and longer in those under SFOD diets. In SFOD, there was a trend towards a smaller number of recruited oocytes compared to CD and SOD and a higher percentage of cleaved oocytes were quantified in SOD diets. A 3-month supply of a diet with elevated LA ω6/ALA ω3 ratio to adult female mice affects their reproductive physiology, modifying progesterone production, ovulation rate, and/or oocyte quality. Although some differences in the response to diets have been observed in several mammalian species, the present findings must be taken into consideration when a diet for optimizing reproductive capability is indicated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]