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The effects of dietary vitamin B 12 deficiency on sperm maturation in developing and growing male rats
Author(s) -
Watanabe Toshiaki,
Ohkawa Keiko,
Kasai Shigenobu,
Ebara Shuhei,
Nakano Yoshihisa,
Watanabe Yoshitaka
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
congenital anomalies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1741-4520
pISSN - 0914-3505
DOI - 10.1111/j.1741-4520.2003.tb01027.x
Subject(s) - sperm , biology , vitamin b12 , gestation , spermatogenesis , endocrinology , sperm motility , andrology , medicine , vitamin , pregnancy , weaning , botany , genetics
To evaluate the role of vitamin B 12 on spermatogenesis, the effects of dietary vitamin B 12 deficiency on sperm maturation in developing rat fetuses and young growing rats were examined. The vitamin B 12 ‐defi‐cient diet was given to all the animals for three different periods: whole period (gestation to mature), gestation period (gestation to weaning), or immature period (3–12 weeks postnatal). Sperm examination revealed that the sperm count was markedly lower in male progeny (F1) that were vitamin B 12 ‐deficient during the whole period. In addition, a significantly higher number of abnormal sperm, such as tailless and amorphous sperm, was observed. In male rats that were vitamin B 12 ‐deficient during the immature period, the incidence of abnormal sperms was 14.4% and 4.8% for tailless and short tail, respectively. The motion rates, such as path velocity and straight line velocity, were decreased to 20–40% of the control value in rats that were vitamin B 12 ‐deficient both during the whole and gestation periods. However, no effects of vitamin B 12 deficiency on sperm motility were observed during the immature and mature periods. From these findings, we suggest that dietary vitamin B 12 deficiency during pregnancy may induce irreversible damage in the germ cells of embryos and affect the maturation of spermatozoa.