PROSTAGLANDIN E2 PREVENTS IMPAIRMENT OF FERTILITY IN RATS FED A DIET DEFICIENT IN ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS

A. A. HAFIEZ

doi:10.1530/jrf.0.0380273

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PROSTAGLANDIN E₂ PREVENTS IMPAIRMENT OF FERTILITY IN RATS FED A DIET DEFICIENT IN ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS

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A. A. HAFIEZ

A. A. HAFIEZ
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DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1530/jrf.0.0380273

Volume/Issue:: Volume 38: Issue 2

Page Range:: 273–286

Article Type:: Research Article

Online Publication Date:: Jun 1974

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Summary.

Male and female rats were fed a diet deficient in essential fatty acids for 5 months, starting at weaning. Some of these animals received no other treatment, while others were given prostaglandin E₂, methyl arachidonate or a regular diet (Purina Lab Chow). At 3 and 6 months of age, the experimental rats were mated with untreated animals. At 3 months, only seven of eleven males fed the fat-free diet alone were fertile, while all males in the other three groups were fertile. At 6 months, five of eleven males fed the fat-free diet alone, ten of eleven males fed the fat-free diet plus methyl arachidonate, and all rats treated with prostaglandin or fed the regular diet were fertile.

At 3 months, the females in the group fed the fat-free diet alone had irregular oestrous cycles, a prolonged gestation period and a smaller litter size than those in the other groups. Treatment with PGE₂ had a deleterious effect on lactation, the lactation efficiency index being 0·4 in this group compared to 0·8 to 0·9 in the remaining three groups.

At 6 months, most females were fertile and normal numbers of corpora lutea and implantation sites were observed in all groups.

Prostaglandin E₂ was apparently as effective as methyl arachidonate in preventing the impairment of fertility in rats fed the fat-free diet. Arachidonic acid is the major precursor for biosynthesis of prostaglandins E₂ and F_2α.

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