New Delhi, July 19: Researchers from the University of California-Riverside have discovered that obesity leads to chronic changes in the brain, resulting in a lower sperm count. The study, conducted using mice fed a high-fat diet to simulate human obesity, revealed significant alterations in brain function.
The findings showed that the brains of obese mice had fewer neuronal connections and a reduction in receptors that signal the brain to stop eating once enough energy has been consumed.
"This could explain why we don’t cut back on our calorie intake,” explained Djurdjica Coss, a biomedical sciences professor at the School of Medicine and the lead author of the study published in the Journal of Neuroscience.
Coss emphasized that reproductive function is governed by the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis, which is disrupted by obesity. The primary impact is on the brain rather than the testes or pituitary gland. In obese individuals, lower hormone levels from the pituitary gland lead to reduced testosterone and sperm production.
The study identified fewer synaptic connections in neurons that regulate reproduction in the mice fed a high-fat diet, mirroring mechanisms found in humans. These findings highlight the profound impact of obesity on brain function and reproductive health.
Obesity, which affects millions globally, is associated with various health issues, including cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes.
