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. 2023 Sep 22;15(19):4107.
doi: 10.3390/nu15194107.

Effects of Low Vitamin C Intake on Fertility Parameters and Pregnancy Outcomes in Guinea Pigs

Sharna J Coker  1 , Rebecca M Dyson  1 , Carlos C Smith-Díaz  2 , Margreet C M Vissers  2 , Mary J Berry  1
Affiliations

Effects of Low Vitamin C Intake on Fertility Parameters and Pregnancy Outcomes in Guinea Pigs

Sharna J Coker et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Identifying how specific nutrients can impact fertility, pregnancy, and neonatal outcomes will yield important insights into the biological mechanisms linking diet and reproductive health. Our study investigates how dietary vitamin C intake affects various fertility parameters and pregnancy and neonatal outcomes in the guinea pig, a natural model of vitamin C dependency. Dunkin Hartley guinea pigs were fed an optimal (900 mg/kg feed) or low (100 mg/kg feed) vitamin C diet ad libitum for at least three weeks prior to mating and throughout pregnancy. We found that animals receiving the low vitamin C diet had an increased number of unsuccessful matings, a higher incidence of foetal reabsorption, and, among pregnancies resulting in delivery at term, produced fewer offspring. Neonates from mothers on the low vitamin C diet had significantly decreased plasma vitamin C concentrations at birth and exhibited mild growth impairments in a sex-dependent manner. We conclude that a diet low of vitamin C induces a state of subfertility, reduces overall fecundity, and adversely impacts both pregnancy outcomes and growth in the offspring. Our study provides an essential foundation for future investigations to determine whether these findings translate to humans. If so, they could have important clinical implications for assisted reproductive technologies and nutritional recommendations for couples trying to conceive, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers.

Keywords: ascorbic acid); fertility; foetus; guinea pig; neonate; preconception; pregnancy; reproduction; vitamin C (ascorbate.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that there are no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Plasma vitamin C concentrations in parent animals on the day of mating and day of delivery. At mating, optimal sires and dams (full circles, n = 10 male, n = 9 female) and low sires and dams (open circles, n = 10 male, n = 7 female). At delivery, optimal dams (full circles, n = 9) and low dams (open circles, n = 8). Data are presented as individual points with group means ± SD. An asterisk indicates significance between bars linked with black lines; **** = p < 0.0001. Data were analysed using unpaired t-tests with Welch’s correction for heterogeneity of variance applied.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Vitamin C concentrations in testes (a) and ovaries (b). Optimal (full circles, n = 5 testes, n = 5 ovaries) and low (open circles, n = 6 testes, n = 7 ovaries). Data are presented as individual points with group means ± SD. An asterisk indicates significance between bars linked with black lines; ** = p < 0.01 and **** = p < 0.0001. Data were analysed using unpaired t-tests (with Welch’s correction for heterogeneity of variance applied to ovaries).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Pregnancy weight gain in litters of equal size. The graph represents the average weight gain during pregnancy (day of mating to week of delivery). Full lines = optimal dams and dashed lines = low dams. Dams with 4 pups (green lines, n = 10 optimal, n = 6 low), dams with 3 pups (blue lines, n = 11 optimal, n = 10 low), and dams with 2 pups (red lines, n = 6 optimal, n = 12 low). Data were analysed using repeated measures mixed-effects two-way ANOVA.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Fractional weight gain in male (a) and female (b) offspring during the neonatal period. Optimal offspring (full circles, n = 21 males and n = 20 females) and low offspring (open circles, n = 17 males and n = 17 females). Data are presented as group means ± SD with * indicating significance at p < 0.05. Data were analysed using repeated measures of mixed-effects two-way ANOVA.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Plasma vitamin C concentrations in neonate offspring (pooled males and females) on day 0 and day 7. At day 0, optimal offspring (full circles, n = 8) and low offspring (open circles, n = 8). At day 7, optimal offspring (full circles, n = 5) and low offspring (open circles, n = 7). All data are presented as group means ± SD. An asterisk indicates significance between bars linked with black lines; *** = p < 0.001. Data were analysed using unpaired t-tests (with Welch’s correction for heterogeneity of variance applied to day 0).
Figure 6
Figure 6
Postpartum salivary cortisol concentrations in dams and offspring. Optimal dams and offspring (full circles, n = 10 dams and n = 20 pups) and low dams and offspring (open circles, n = 10 dams and n = 20 pups). All data are presented as group means ± SD and were analysed using one-way ANOVA.
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