{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,12]],"date-time":"2026-01-12T11:05:50Z","timestamp":1768215950015,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":35,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,12]],"date-time":"2026-01-12T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1768176000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Cell Dev. Biol."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>High-fat diets are known to affect semen quality, potentially through metabolic and cellular stress mechanisms.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objectives<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This study investigates the impact of a high-fat diet on semen quality in male mice and identifies the underlying mechanisms involved.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Materials and methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Thirty male C57BL\/6J mice were randomly assigned to a control diet (CD) or HFD for 12 weeks. Sperm parameters and fertility were assessed by computer-assisted sperm analysis and mating trials. Testicular oxidative stress indices, autophagy- and apoptosis-related proteins were analyzed by biochemical assays and Western blot. Mitophagy (LC3B\u2013Grp75 co-localization), tissue morphology (H&amp;amp;E, TUNEL, electron microscopy) and sperm DNA damage (DNA fragmentation index, 8-hydroxy-2\u2032-deoxyguanosine [8-OHdG]) were further evaluated. Serum lipids and testosterone were measured by enzymatic assays and ELISA.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>HFD mice developed obesity, dyslipidemia, reduced testosterone, marked decreases in sperm count, progressive motility and normal morphology, and complete loss of fertility. Region-specific molecular alterations were observed along the reproductive tract: in epididymal caput, Beclin-1 and LC3B were upregulated and p62 downregulated, indicating enhanced autophagic flux; in cauda epididymis, pro-apoptotic markers increased and Bcl-2 decreased, consistent with augmented apoptosis; in testis, ATG5, Beclin-1, caspase-3 and Apaf-1 were elevated. HFD also increased testicular ROS and MDA, reduced SOD activity and mitochondrial membrane potential, and elevated sperm apoptosis, DNA fragmentation and 8-OHdG.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>HFD induces a pathogenic cascade\u2014oxidative stress, disrupted autophagy\/mitophagy, and mitochondrial apoptosis-that collectively impair spermatogenesis and male fertility. Therapeutic strategies targeting antioxidant defenses, autophagic flux, and mitophagy may ameliorate obesity-related reproductive dysfunction.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fcell.2025.1640714","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,12]],"date-time":"2026-01-12T08:09:33Z","timestamp":1768205373000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Dialogue between nutrition and reproduction: preliminary exploration of sperm quality response to high-fat diet in mice"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Yali","family":"Jiang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Wenge","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,12]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e14544","DOI":"10.1111\/and.14544","article-title":"Coenzyme Q10 alleviates testicular endocrine and spermatogenic dysfunction induced by high-fat diet in male Wistar rats: role of adipokines, oxidative stress and MAPK\/ERK\/JNK pathway","volume":"54","author":"Allam","year":"2022","journal-title":"Andrologia"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"102393","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bpobgyn.2023.102393","article-title":"Obesity and male infertility","volume":"90","author":"Ameratunga","year":"2023","journal-title":"Best. 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