Nutrients
Low-Concentration Sucrose Intake During Puberty Alters Cholesterol Metabolism and Circulating Testosterone Levels in Male Mice
By Aya Fujii and Yukihiro Yoshimura.
Abstract
Background
Pubertal sucrose intake is a public health concern, but its effects on cholesterol metabolism and male reproductive endocrinology remain poorly understood. Rodent studies of this window have generally used 30% (w/v) sucrose or 20% (w/v) fructose solutions; beverage-like concentrations have been examined less often. Reported effects of dietary sugar on circulating testosterone are inconsistent; we hypothesized that differences in developmental stage might account for this discrepancy.
Methods
Male ICR (Institute of Cancer Research) mice had free access to a 10% (w/v) sucrose solution from 4 to 8 weeks of age. We assessed hepatic and plasma lipids, testicular cholesterol and testosterone, hepatic acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) and AMPK phosphorylation, and expression of cholesterol metabolism- and steroidogenesis-related genes. All measurements were performed after a 16 h fast, during which the sucrose solution was replaced with water.