Volume 24, Issue 12 (Feb-Mar 2017)                   JSSU 2017, 24(12): 994-1003 | Back to browse issues page

XML Persian Abstract Print

Evaluation of Morphometrical and Histomorphometrical Changes of Testes, Fertility Potential and Sperm Quality in Mice Treated with Aflatoxin
Abbas Ahamdi *
Abstract:   (5564 Views)

Introduction: Aflatoxin is the most important mycotoxin toxicity and can enter the animal or human reproductive systems and cause some problems in relation to semen quality and fertility decline. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of aflatoxin on histological structure of the testes and sperm characteristics and cellular targets in spermatogenic compartment and blood level of testosterone and fertility potential.

Methods: In this experimental study, 40 adult male mice were divided into 4 groups as the control and experimental groups. Experimental groups have received aflatoxin (100, 350, 700µg/kg) by gastric intubation daily. After 45 days, the mice were sacrificed and sperm samples were collected from cauda epididyms in order to evaluate the sperm parameters and perform the in-vitro fertilization analyses.

Results: Analyses of sperm parameters demonstrated that sperm motility decreased remarkably (P<0.05) in all three groups of aflatoxin in comparison with the control. Moreover, the percentage of sperms with DNA disintegrity and nuclear immaturity were significantly increased in aflatoxin groups (P<0.05). Results from IVF showed that aflatoxin have been significantly decreased the sperm fertilization potential, preimplantation embryonic development, embryonic quality and percentage of 2-cells embryos and blasocyste in comparison with the control group. Percentage of arrested embryos with high lysis and fragmantation have been increased significantly in aflatoxin-treated groups (P<0.05).

Conclusion: Totally, the present results highly support the idea that aflatoxin induces testicular toxicity with adverse effect on sperm quality and fertility potential in a dose-dependent manner. 

Keywords: Aflatoxin, Sperm Quality, In Vitro Fertilization, Embryo Development, Mice
Full-Text [PDF 494 kb]   (1812 Downloads)    
Type of Study: Original article | Subject: other
Received: 2015/08/14 | Accepted: 2017/01/7 | Published: 2017/05/8
References
2. Faridha A, Faisal K, Akbarsha M.A. Aflatoxin treatment brings about generation of multinucleate giant spermatids (symplasts) through opening of cytoplasmic bridges: Light and transmission electron microscopic study in Swiss mouse. Reproductive Toxicology 2007; 24: 403-8.
3. Agnes VF, Akbarsha MA. Pale vacuolated epithelial cells in epididymis of aflatoxin-treated mice. Reproduction 2001; 122: 629-41.
4. Agnes VF, Akbarsha M.A. Spermatotoxic effect of aflatoxin B1 in the albino mouse. Food and Chemical Toxicology 2003; 41: 119-30.
5. Buss P, Caviezel M, Lutz WK. Linear dose–response relationship for DNA adducts in rat liver from chronic exposure to aflatoxin B1. Carcinogenesis 1990; 11: 2133-35.
6. Egbunike GN. Sperm maturation and storage in the male rat after acute treatment with aflatoxin B1. Andrologia 1985; 17(4): 379-82.
7. Egbunike GN. Steroidogenic and spermatogenic potentials of the male rat after acute treatment with aflatoxin B1. Andrologia 1982; 14(5): 440-46.
8. Egbunike GN, Emerole GO, Aire TA, Ikegwuonu FI. Sperm Production Rates, Sperm Physiology and Fertility in Rats Chronically Treated with Sublethal Doses of Aflatoxin B1. Andrologia 1980; 12 (5): 467-75.
9. Egbunike GN. Fertility and embryo mortality in rats following micro doses of aflatoxin B1. Bull Anim Hlth Prod Afr 1987; 26: 268-69.
10. Egbunike GN. The effects of micro doses of aflatoxin B1 on sperm production rates, epididymal sperm abnormality and fertility in the rat. Zbl Vet Med 1979; 26: 66-72.
11. Faisal K, Periasamy VS, Sahabudeen S, Radha A, Anandhi R, Akbarsha MA. Spermatotoxic effect of aflatoxin B1 in rat: extrusion of outer dense fibres and associated axonemal microtubule doublets of sperm flagellum. Reproduction 2008; 135: 303-10.
12. Abdelaziz S, Abu El-Saad, Hamada M. Phytic acid exposure alters aflatoxinb1-induced reproductive and oxidative toxicity in albino rats (rattus norvegicus). eCAM 2009; 6(3): 331-41.
13. Gabriel N. Egbunike E. Histochemical assessment of 3&hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity in the testes of rats following acute administration of aflatoxin bl. Toxicology Letters 1981; 9: 219-82.
14. Neeta Mathuria, Ramtej Jayram Verma. Curcumin ameliorates aflatoxin-induced toxicity in mice spermatozoa. Fertil Steril 2008; 90: 775-80.
15. Sadeghi M, Hodjat M, Lakpour N, Arefi S, Amirjannati N, Modarresi T, et al. Effects of sperm chromatin integrity on fertilization rate and embryo quality following intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Avicenna Journal of Medical Biotechnology 2009; 3: 173-80.
16. Rezvanfar MA, Sadrkhanlou RA, Ahmadi A, Shojaei-Sadee H, Mohammadirad A, Salehnia A, et al. Protection of cyclophosphamide-induced toxicity in reproductive tract histology, sperm characteristics, and DNA damage by an herbal source; evidence for role of free-radical toxic stress. Hum Exp Toxicol 2008; 27(12): 901-10.
17. Varnet P, Fulton N, Wallace C, Aitken RJ. Analysis of a plasma membrane redox system in rat epididymalspermatozoa. Biol Reprod 2001; 65: 1102-13.
18. Guerin P, El Mouatassim S, Ménézo Y. Oxidative stress and protection against reactive oxygen species in the preimplantation embryo and its surrounding. Human Reproductive Update 2001; 7(2): 175-89.
19. Aitken RJ, West K, Buckingham D. Leukocytic infil tration into the human ejaculate and its association with semen quality oxidative stress and sperm function. J Androl 1994; 15(4): 343-52.
20. Sena, Pedrosa K.L. Zinc supplementation and its effects on growth, immune system, and diabetes. Review of Nutrition 2005; 18: 251-259.
21. Gopal T, Oehme FW, Liao TF, Chen CL. Effects of intratesticular aflatoxin b, on rat testes and blood estrogens. Toxicofogy Letters 1980; 5: 263-67.
22. D'Occhio MJ, Hengstberger KJ, Johnston SD. Biology of sperm chromatin structure and relationship to male fertility and embryonic survival. Animal Reproduction Science 2007; 101(1-2): 1-17.
23. Shoukir Y, Chardonnens D, Campana A, Sakkas D. Blastocyst development from supernumery embryos after intracytoplasmic sperm injection. A paternal influence? Hum Reprod 1998; 13(6): 1632-37.
Rights and permissions
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.