A High Phosphorus Diet Impairs Testicular Function and Spermatogenesis in Male Mice with Chronic Kidney Disease

Abstract

Hyperphosphatemia is a serious complication in chronic kidney disease (CKD) that occurs due to insufficient excretion of phosphorus during failure of renal function. Both CKD and an excessive phosphorus intake have been reported to increase oxidative stress and result in poor male fertility, but little is known about the reproductive function of the CKD under a poorly controlled phosphate intake. Eight-week-old C57BL/6 mice (<i>n</i> = 66) were randomly divided into four groups: a sham operation group received a chow diet as control (SC group, <i>n</i> = 14), CKD-induced mice received a chow diet (CKDC group, <i>n</i> = 16), control mice received a high phosphorus (HP) diet (SP group, <i>n</i> = 16), and CKD-induced mice received a HP diet (CKDP group, <i>n</i> = 20). CKD was induced by performing a 5/6 nephrectomy. The chow diet contained 0.6% phosphorus, while the HP diet contained 2% phosphorus. Impaired testicular function and semen quality found in the CKD model may result from increased oxidative stress, causing apoptosis and inflammation. The HP diet aggravated the negative effects of testicular damage in the CKD-induced mice.