Long-term hypercaloric diets may adversely affect the development of ovarian follicles. We investigated the effects of high
sugar (HS), high fat low
sugar (HFLS), and high fat normal
sugar (HFNS) diets on the ovarian follicle development in mice fed with these diets as compared to those fed with normal diet (control) for 180 days.
Body weight, gonadal fat,
glucose,
lipid,
insulin, estrous cycle,
sex hormones and ovarian tissues were examined, and metabolism-related
protein expression in the ovaries was evaluated by immunoblotting. The mice fed with hypercaloric diets showed
hyperinsulinemia and
hyperlipidemia, and exhibited heavier body and gonadal fat weights, longer estrous cycles, and fewer preantral and
antral follicles than mice fed with normal diet. The
sex hormone levels in the blood were similar to those in controls, except for significantly elevated
estradiol levels in the HS diet group. The AMPKα phosphorylation was reduced, while AKT phosphorylation and
caspase-3 levels were increased in the ovarian tissues of mice in all three hypercaloric diet groups than those in control. Taken together, the results suggest
hyperinsulinemia and
hyperlipidemia as possible mechanisms that impair the development of ovarian follicles in response to long-term exposure to unhealthy hypercaloric diets.