Maternal Fed Zinc-Deficient Diet: Effects in Relaxin Family Peptides and Oxidant System in The Testis and Liver Tissue of Male Offspring

It is aimed to investigate the levels of the sex hormones testosterone and the family of insulin-like proteins (relaxin family peptides), which are important in the puberty transition, in the testicular tissues of male offspring born to female rats fed a zinc-deficient diet during the pregnancy, and the changes in lipid peroxidation markers. Also, we aimed to determine the levels of relaxin family peptides and changes in oxidant markers in the liver tissue of male offspring. The study was performed on 40 male offspring. Group I: Control group (n=10) Both male offspring and mothers (during their pregnancy and 21 days after giving birth) were fed with standard rat chow. Group II: Zinc deficient diet group (n=10). The offspring were fed a zinc-deficient diet (2.8 mg/kg zinc) after being separated from their mothers until the study was terminated (on the day 66 th ). Group III: Normal diet group (n=10). Male offspring fed standard rat chow for 45 days (66 th day) after being separated from their mothers with a maternal zinc-deficient diet. Group IV: Zinc-supplemented diet group (n=10). Offspring fed with zinc supplemented (5 mg/kg/day intraperitoneal zinc sulfate, i.p.) in addition to standard rat chow after being separated from their mothers with maternal zinc deficiency until the termination of the study (66 th day). Our study suggests that zinc supplemented diets play an important role in the changes in INSL3, INSL7, RXFP1 and testosterone levels during spermatogenesis.