Glucagon-like peptide-1 analog, liraglutide, alters blood-testis barrier permeability in juvenile healthy rats.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analogue liraglutide has recently been approved for treating obese children. However, little is known about liraglutide's effect on testicular function during the juvenile developmental period, particularly regarding the blood-testis barrier (BTB) formation. This study analyses the impact of liraglutide treatment on BTB function in young rats and its consequences in adulthood. Rats received a daily dose of liraglutide from postnatal day (Pnd) 20 to 33, the period when a functional BTB is formed. At Pnd 34, liraglutide promoted a significant increase in permeable tubules, accompanied by increased cell apoptosis, suggesting an altered BTB. Adult animals that received liraglutide during the juvenile period showed restored BTB permeability and complete spermatogenesis without changes in daily sperm production. In conclusion, liraglutide treatment during the juvenile stage alters BTB function, but this impairment is reversible and may not compromise adult testicular function.