Influence of dietary fatty acids composition, level of dietary fat and feeding period on some parameters of androgen metabolism in male rats
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"In this study the type of dietary fat significantly influenced plasma testosterone concentration and activity of 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase – the most important key-enzyme in the testosterone synthesis path way in male rat gonads [16].
These parameters were higher in animals receiving rapeseed oil diets as a fat source than in groups fed a palm oil diet. This may suggest that monounsaturated fatty acids stimulate enzyme activity and androgen secretion into blood.
In contrast, saturated fatty acids may inhibit testes 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity and lower plasma androgens level. This observation was confirmed by a significant negative correlation between SFA intake and 17β-HSD activity or androgen plasma level.
Sebokova et al. [24] also observed that feeding rats with a diet rich in fish oil caused an increase in testosterone synthesis in testes. These authors suggested that dietary fat affected phospholipid composition in plasma membranes of testes which altered the availability of gonadotropin receptors and influenced the rate of steroidogenesis [23].
According to Meikle et al. [18], such influence on steroidogenesis occurs at an early stage of conversion of cholesterol to pregnenolone, and saturated fatty acids (linolenic, stearic and palmitic acids) demonstrated the strongest inhibitory effect at this time.
In another experiment, the stimulatory in vitro effect of arachidonic acid (AA - Omega 6) on testosterone synthesis was observed in rat testes [21].