The purpose of this study was to assess the natural exposure ofmale horses (Equus caballus) to themycotoxin zearalenone (ZEA) by using the ELISA test and to evaluate the effects of in vitro exposure of sperm cells to mycotoxin-containing urine extracts on sperm chromatin structure stability. Because of their occurrence in urine samples, ZEA and its derivatives were tested by sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA) at natural levels detected by ELISA. Thirty-eight urine extracts of Italian (n = 11) and northeastern European (n = 27) horses were tested on frozen-thawed spermatozoa to evaluate the toxic effect of mycotoxin on their chromatin structure by flow cytometry. Different parameters of the DNA fragmentation index (DFI), such as the mean (¯X DFI), the percentage (%-DFI), and the standard deviation (SD-DFI), were analyzed. Urine samples showed a mean level of 32.3 ng/mL ZEA with significantly higher concentrations in northeastern European samples than in Italian samples, probably in relation to climatic and feeding differences. The toxic effects of ZEA-containing urine samples on SCSA parameters were found at low ZEA concentrations and were mainly observed in Italian samples. By using mycotoxin standards, ZEA, a-zearalenol, and b-zearalenol proved to be more toxic compounds for sperm chromatin stability than other tested derivatives. A nongenomic mechanism of action can be hypothesized. # 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Effects of in vitro exposure to natural levels of zearalenone and its derivates on chromatin structure stability in equine spermatozoa
LACALANDRA, Giovanni Michele;DELL'AQUILA, Maria Elena
2009-01-01
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to assess the natural exposure ofmale horses (Equus caballus) to themycotoxin zearalenone (ZEA) by using the ELISA test and to evaluate the effects of in vitro exposure of sperm cells to mycotoxin-containing urine extracts on sperm chromatin structure stability. Because of their occurrence in urine samples, ZEA and its derivatives were tested by sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA) at natural levels detected by ELISA. Thirty-eight urine extracts of Italian (n = 11) and northeastern European (n = 27) horses were tested on frozen-thawed spermatozoa to evaluate the toxic effect of mycotoxin on their chromatin structure by flow cytometry. Different parameters of the DNA fragmentation index (DFI), such as the mean (¯X DFI), the percentage (%-DFI), and the standard deviation (SD-DFI), were analyzed. Urine samples showed a mean level of 32.3 ng/mL ZEA with significantly higher concentrations in northeastern European samples than in Italian samples, probably in relation to climatic and feeding differences. The toxic effects of ZEA-containing urine samples on SCSA parameters were found at low ZEA concentrations and were mainly observed in Italian samples. By using mycotoxin standards, ZEA, a-zearalenol, and b-zearalenol proved to be more toxic compounds for sperm chromatin stability than other tested derivatives. A nongenomic mechanism of action can be hypothesized. # 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
