Oral Presentation ESA-SRB-NZSE-CaSR 2026 in conjunction with ENSA

Impact of high fat and high sucrose diets on endometrial breakdown and repair (144032)

Laura M Rogers 1 , Gendie E Lash 2 , Greg M Anderson 1 , Jane E Girling 1
  1. Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
  2. Division of Uterine Vascular Biology, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou

BACKGROUND

 

Our previous observations suggest that, while not affecting the extent of decidualisation, a high-sucrose diet may affect the function of decidual cells. As decidual cells play an important role in menstruation, their dysregulation may contribute to abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB). While current literature has highlighted the impact of high-fat and Western diets on decidualisation and endometrial function, there is little research contrasting the specific impacts of high sucrose versus high fat consumption. We utilised a minimally invasive mouse model of early pregnancy and miscarriage to investigate the impact of diet on decidualisation and endometrial breakdown.

 

METHODS

 

C57BL/6 mice were fed a high-fat (HFD), high-sucrose (HSD) or control diet for 8 weeks and mated before being injected with 2 mg/kg mifepristone on gestational day 5.5 to induce miscarriage. Mice were culled 48, 72, or 96 hours following mifepristone. Body composition was measured using minispec NMR. The morphology of implantation sites was recorded, and uteri collected for immunohistochemistry targeting markers of proliferation, apoptosis, and immune cells.  Bleeding was assessed via vaginal lavage.

 

RESULTS

 

Body composition was significantly altered by diet. Body fat percentage was increased in both the HFD and HSD groups in comparison to the control group (HFD=24.4±7.8% [mean±SEM]; HSD=13.9±2.9%; control=10.9±2.4%; p<0.001). HFD mice showed no vaginal bleeding from 58 hours after mifepristone, while control (33%) and HSD (28%) groups still displayed bleeding at 96 hours. In preliminary results, there were no significant differences in gross uterine morphology at any time point. An in-depth analysis of endometrial structure is underway.

 

CONCLUSION

 

Our early observations of vaginal bleeding suggest an important but subtle impact of HFD but not HSD on breakdown and repair.  While preliminary, these results provide further evidence of links between diet and endometrial dysfunction and will ultimately help elucidate the mechanisms responsible for AUB.