Abstract

The purpose of this studywas to assess the natural exposure ofmale horses (Equus caballus) to the mycotoxin 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 theDNA 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. # 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Autore Pugliese

• Lacalandra Giovanni Michele , Dell'aquila Maria Elena

Tutti gli autori

• LACALANDRA G.M. ;DELL'AQUILA M.E.

Titolo volume/Rivista

Non Disponibile

Anno di pubblicazione

2010

ISSN

0093-691X

ISBN

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Numero di citazioni Wos

Nessuna citazione

Ultimo Aggiornamento Citazioni

Non Disponibile

Numero di citazioni Scopus

19

Ultimo Aggiornamento Citazioni

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Settori ERC

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Codici ASJC

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