Poster abstracts

Aims:The incretin hormone, glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide (GIP) regulates glucose homeostasis and metabolism.The present study has evaluated the effects of GIP agonism on ovarian morphology and gene expression in high-fat diet-fed mice (HFD).Methods: Female TO-mice (4 weeks old) were fed a HFD for 18 weeks and regularly monitored.Mice were then administered twice-daily i.p injections for 21 days of saline or (DAla2)GIP (25 nmol/kg bw).Plasma and excised ovaries were used for analysis.Results: (DAla2)GIP administration did not result in significant changes in body weight or blood glucose levels in HFD mice.While (DAla2)GIP reduced (p < 0.001) energy intake up to day 7, increased food intake was observed on days 14 and 21 compared with ND mice.Terminal plasma analysis showed no significant changes in LH, FSH, progesterone, GLP-1 or PYY levels, although corticosterone levels were significantly (p < 0.05) elevated.Quantitative PCR revealed a significant increase in the expression of GCG-R (p < 0.001) and GSHR (p < 0.05) mRNA in HFD mice, and (DAla2)GIP maintained this elevation while further increasing (p < 0.005) INS-R mRNA expression in the ovaries.Histological analysis showed a significant (p < 0.05-p < 0.001) reduction in primary and secondary follicle counts compared with untreated HFD mice.However, (DAla2)GIP significantly (p < 0.001) reduced the number of atretic follicles, indicating protective effects against follicular atresia.Conclusion: These findings suggest that GIP agonism influences ovarian morphology and gene expression in HFD-induced obesity.Although GIP agonism alters ovarian follicles, further investigation is needed to determine whether these effects are beneficial compared with GIP antagonism.