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Nutrition Translation and Communications (Poster Session)

(P12-003-24) Aspartame Intake Impairs Male Reproductive Function: Role of Mitochondrial Dysfunction

Sunday, June 30, 2024
12:45 PM – 1:45 PM CT
Location: Poster Board 328

    Presenting Author(s)

  • Yang Ching Chen, MD, PhD (she/her/hers)

    Vice Superintendent, Taipei Municipal Wanfang Hospital
    Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Department of Family Medicine
    Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan (Republic of China)

    • Co-Author(s)

  • ZW

    Zih Ling Wang

    School of Nutrition and Health Sciences, College of Nutrition, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan (Republic of China)

  • YL

    Yu-Fang Lin

    School of Nutrition and Health Sciences, College of Nutrition, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan (Republic of China)

  • RH

    Rong-Hong Hsieh

    Taipei Medical University, School of Nutrition and Health Sciences, College of Nutrition, Taipei, Taiwan (Republic of China)

Disclosure(s):
Yang Ching Chen, MD, PhD: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.


Objectives: We investigated the impact of aspartame administration on the reproductive function in male humans and rats and explored the underlying mechanisms.

Methods: The Taiwan Pubertal Longitudinal Study, involving 166 boys and 379 girls aged 6–12 from 2018 to 2022, was conducted to examine the association between aspartame consumption and reproductive outcomes. Meanwhile, male Sprague Dawley rats were intervened with low (30 mg/kg) or high (60 mg/kg) doses of aspartame from the prenatal to postnatal stages for a total of 21 weeks. The dysregulation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal (HPG) axis and mitochondrial dysfunction were investigated as potential mechanisms underlying the declined sex hormone and testis volumn caused by aspartame.

Results: In the human study, higher aspartame consumption was associated with a reduced testis volume with dose-response effectiveness (β= -1.68 mL, 95% confidence interval = -3.19– -0.16; p for trend = 0.03). In the animal study, aspartame administration disrupted the HPG axis, induced higher oxidative stress and lower level of antioxidant enzyme. These lead to mitochondrial dysfunction and a decline in mitochondrial biogenesis in the testis of male rats as compared with control group, resulting in testosterone decline. Male rat testis histomorphology also showed loose structure and vacuolations of the seminiferous tubules.

Conclusions: In the human study, higher aspartame consumption was associated with a reduced testis volume with dose-response effectiveness (β= -1.68 mL, 95% confidence interval = -3.19– -0.16 in high dose group as compared to control group; p for trend = 0.03). In the animal study, aspartame administration disrupted the HPG axis, induced higher oxidative stress and lower level of antioxidant enzyme. These lead to mitochondrial dysfunction and a decline in mitochondrial biogenesis in the testis of male rats as compared with control group, resulting in testosterone decline. Male rat testis histomorphology also showed loose structure and vacuolations of the seminiferous tubules.

Funding Sources: This research was funded by the National Science and Technology Council, Taiwan grant numbers:  MOST 111-2314-B-038-004 obtained by Dr. Yang Ching Chen.