Effect of Aflatoxin M1, "A Hydroxylated Metabolite of B1" on Sperm Cell Quality of Adult Male Wistar Rats (original) (raw)
Related papers
Spermatotoxic Effects of Aflatoxin B1 in a Sample of Sohag Population and in Rabbits
Mansoura Journal of Forensic Medicine and Clinical Toxicology, 2016
Aflatoxins (A-flavus-toxins) are the most studied group of mycotoxins. At smaller concentrations the Aflatoxins can affect male reproduction, namely spermatogenesis. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of Aflatoxin-B 1 on male reproductive system by two ways: clinically on human beings and experimentally on rabbits. Human study was conducted on 100 males attending outpatients of Andrology Clinic of Sohag University Hospitals; 50 males had normal seminogram and 50 males had abnormal seminogram. Animal study was conducted on 45 adult NZW rabbit bucks. They were divided into three groups. Each group was divided to three subgroups; (negative control, positive control and treated rabbits). Treated subgroups received Aflatoxin B 1 by i.p injection at 20 µg/ kg/BW per day (subtoxic dose) for different durations (30 days, 48 days and 63 days). Human study showed significant increase in seminal plasma Aflatoxin-B 1 level in the infertile group. The increased AFB 1 level affected significantly semen parameters. Experimental results showed significant negative correlation between the seminal AFB 1 level and sperm concentration, sperm viability and total sperm motility but showed significant positive correlation with abnormal sperm forms. Histopathological examination showed degeneration of seminifrous tubules. The tubules showed absence of mature sperms with appearance of uninucleated and multinucleated giant cells. Epididymal epithelium showed vaculation and degeneration. From the obtained results, it can be concluded that Aflatoxin B 1 affect male reproductive system functionally and pathologically. Klich, 2003). Mycotoxins contaminate food by two general routes direct and indirect. Direct contamination occurs as a result of mould growth on food itself. The data INTRODUCTlON Aflatoxins (A-flavus-toxins) are the most studied group of mycotoxins and are produced by different species of the genus Aspergillus (Bennett and Mohamed et al
The effect of aflatoxins on reproductive organs of male mice
Cell Biology International Reports, 1990
Sodium arsenite was orally administered to mice during pregnancy and lactation at a dose level of 0.4 ppm and body weights and organ weights with special focus to reproductive organs in next generation adult male mice were analyzed. The body weight and weight gain of control and experimental pups did not differ significantly. However, the weights of testes, prostate and seminal vesicle decreased in experimental mice when compared with controls. Histology of testes indicated decrease in primary and secondary spermatocytes and spermatids in experimental mice when compared with control. These results indicated that exposure to arsenic during early stages of development suppresses the development of male reproductive organs in adults. Thus, it was conclude that the potential of reproduction is programmed, to some extent, in the early stages of development and hence any toxic insult during embryonic development and lactation suppresses male reproductive potential in adulthood.
Aflatoxin B1-Induced Reproductive Toxicity in Male Rats: Possible Mechanism of Action
International Journal of Toxicology, 2014
Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), one of the most common mycotoxins found in human foods, is principally hepatotoxic; however, it also affects reproduction. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the reproductive toxic effects and possible mechanism of action of AFB1 in rats. Male Wistar rats were injected intramuscularly with doses of 10, 20, or 50 µg AFB1/kg body weight on alternate days from 45 to 100 days of age. Significant reductions in body weights, relative weights of reproductive organs, daily sperm production, epididymal sperm count, viable sperm, motile sperm, and hypoosmotic swelling-tail coiled sperm were observed. Significant decreases in testicular steroidogenic enzymes and serum testosterone levels were also observed indicating decreased steroidogenesis. In silico docking studies illustrated AFB1 binds with steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) protein thereby affecting the transport of cholesterol into mitochondria resulting in decreased steroidogenesis.
Emirates Journal of Food and Agriculture
Aflatoxins are mycotoxins found as a foodstuff contaminant, but some of them are seen to increase cancer risk. Aflatoxins are the most potent natural toxin recognized. The sperm shape and chromosomal aberration test were used to investigate the effect of aflatoxin on albino male mice. The aim of this research is to assess the cytogenetic and sperm toxic effects of aflatoxin in albino male mice in vivo. The doses used were (control, 10, 20, and 30) mg/kg/bw for 24 hours. Our results reveal that aflatoxin can cause a range of chromosomal malformations like chromatid break without fragment, ring chromosomes, dicentric chromosomes, centromeric break, chromatid gap, and fragment chromosomes the abnormalities increased from 5 in control to 62.2 in 30mg/kg. and sperm abnormalities in male albino mice subjected to various doses were hookless, headless, tailless, defective head, long and broad hook, folded head, folded tail, and sperm with double tail, increasing the dose concentration enhan...
Aflatoxin B1 impairs sperm quality and fertilization competence
Toxicology, 2018
Aflatoxins are poisonous byproducts of the soilborne fungus Aspergillus, involved in the decomposition of plant materials. Aflatoxins can be found in various food products, such as maize, sorghum, millet, rice and wheat. AFB1 is the most toxic of these, classified as a carcinogen and mutagen for both humans and animals. AFB1 has been detected in human cord blood and placenta; however, its toxic effect on sperm is less known. The current study examines sperm responses associated with AFB1 exposure. These included acrosome integrity and function, mitochondrial polarity, DNA fragmentation, fertilization competence and early embryonic development. Spermatozoa were obtained from bull ejaculate and epididymis and capacitated in vitro for 4 h with 0, 0.1, 1, 10 and 100 µM AFB1. Following capacitation, acrosome reaction (AR) was induced by Ca 2+ ionophore. The integrity and functionality of sperm were examined simultaneously by florescent staining. A Halosperm DNA fragmentation kit was used to evaluate DNA integrity. An in-vitro culture system was used to evaluate fertilization competence and blastocyst formation rate, using bovine oocytes. Findings indicate dose-responsive variation among compartments to AFB1 exposure. Sperm viability, expressed by integrity of the plasma membrane, was lower in sperm isolated from ejaculate or epididymis after culturing with AFB1. Exposure to AFB1 reduced the proportion of sperm from the epididymis tail undergoing acrosome reaction induced by Ca 2+ ionophore. AFB1 impaired mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) in sperm isolated from ejaculate and the epididymis tail. Exposing ejaculated sperm to AFB1 increased the proportion of sperm with fragmented DNA and reduced the proportion of embryos that cleaved to the 2-to 4-cell stage, 42 h postfertilization, however, the proportion of embryos that developed to blastocysts, 7 days postfertilization, did not differ among groups. The findings explore the harmful effects of AFB1 on sperm viability, ΔΨm and DNA integrity associated with fertility competence. We postulate that AFB1-induced fragmentation in paternal DNA might have a carryover effect on the quality of developing embryos. Further evaluation for the quality of blastocysts derived from sperm exposed to AFB1 is warranted.
Toxicology, 2001
Aflatoxins are toxic to a wide variety of animals, including man. The antioxidant ascorbic acid (AA) plays an important role in various physiological processes in the body including detoxification of different toxic compounds. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of AA on productive and reproductive characteristics of mature male rabbits given two sublethal doses (15 or 30 mg/kg of body weight; every other day) of aflatoxin B 1 (AFB 1 ). The experiment lasted 18 weeks and included two periods: a treatment period (first 9 weeks) where the animals were given the tested materials, and a recovery period (second 9 weeks) where all the drugs were withdrawn. Results showed that live body weight (LBW), dry matter intake (DMI), relative testes weight (RTW), and serum testosterone were significantly reduced (P B0.05) by treatment with AFB 1 in a dose-dependent manner, and these effects continued during the recovery period. Aflatoxin treatment also decreased (PB 0.05) ejaculate volume, sperm concentration, total sperm output, sperm motility index, and semen initial fructose concentration. The negative effects of aflatoxin on semen characteristics were dose-dependent and continued during the recovery period. Treatment with AA increased (PB 0.05) LBW, DMI, RTW, serum testosterone concentration, improved semen characteristics, and alleviated the negative effects of AFB 1 . Aflatoxin treatment increased (PB0.05) the numbers of abnormal and dead sperms in a dose-dependent manner, and this effect continued during the recovery period. Treatment with AA alleviated the negative effects of AFB1 during treatment and recovery periods. Results demonstrated the beneficial influences of AA in reducing the negative effects of AFB 1 on production and reproduction of male rabbits.
Reproduction, 2008
Male Wistar rats were treated with aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). Live as well as methanol-fixed cauda epididymal spermatozoa were stained with acridine orange (AO) and ethidium bromide (EB) and observed under a fluorescence microscope. Giemsa-stained smears were observed in a bright field microscope. Unstained smears were observed with phase contrast illumination. The axoneme of more than 10% of the spermatozoa of treated rats had the outer dense fibres (ODFs), in varying numbers, and the associated axonemal microtubule doublets of the flagellum extruded either at midpiece-principal piece junction or connecting piece. This could be perceived in all light microscopic preparations, but AO-EB staining offered an advantage of the assessment of the viability as well. TEM observation of sections of the testis and cauda epididymidis also revealed ODF extrusion, as seen in the transverse sections of sperm flagella missing one or more ODFs and the associated axonemal microtubule doublets. In a few such sections, the extruded elements were seen in the cytoplasm, outside the mitochondrial sheath or peripheral sheath. Marginal to severe mitochondrial pathologies were observed in the spermatozoa and elongated spermatids, suggesting a link between AFB1-induced sperm mitochondrial pathology and extrusion of ODFs. However, the possibility that AFB1 treatment would disrupt the cytoskeletal proteins of the flagellum, resulting in the extrusion of ODFs, cannot be excluded. This sperm abnormality is reported for the first time as produced by a dietary toxin. Dietary aflatoxins, therefore, could also be contributory factors for the deterioration of the reproductive health of men.