Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the in vitro effects of the Fusarium fungus-derivedmycotoxin, zearalenone and its derivatives alpha-zearalenol and beta-zearalenol on motility parameters and theacrosome reaction of stallion sperm. Since the toxic effects of zearalenone and its derivatives are thought to resultfrom their structural similarity to 17beta-estradiol, 17beta-estradiol was used as a positive control for 'estrogen-like'effects.Methods: Stallion spermatozoa were exposed in vitro to zearalenone, alpha-zearalenol, beta-zearalenol or 17betaestradiolat concentrations ranging from 1 pM - 0.1 mM. After 2 hours exposure, motility parameters wereevaluated by computer-assisted analysis, and acrosome integrity was examined by flow cytometry after stainingwith fluoroscein-conjugated peanut agglutinin.Results: Mycotoxins affected sperm parameters only at the highest concentration tested (0.1 mM) after 2 hoursexposure. In this respect, all of the compounds reduced the average path velocity, but only alpha-zearalenolreduced percentages of motile and progressively motile sperm. Induction of motility patterns consistent withhyperactivation was stimulated according to the following rank of potency: alpha-zearalenol >17beta-estradiol >zearalenone = beta-zearalenol. The hyperactivity-associated changes observed included reductions in straight-linevelocity and linearity of movement, and an increase in the amplitude of lateral head displacement, while curvilinearvelocity was unchanged. In addition, whereas alpha- and beta- zearalenol increased the percentages of liveacrosome-reacted sperm, zearalenone and 17beta-estradiol had no apparent effect on acrosome status. In short,alpha-zearalenol inhibited normal sperm motility, but stimulated hyperactive motility in the remaining motile cellsand simultaneously induced the acrosome reaction. Beta-zearalenol induced the acrosome reaction withoutaltering motility. Conversely, zearalenone and 17beta-estradiol did not induce the acrosome reaction but inducedhyperactive motility albeit to a different extent.Conclusions: Apparently, the mycotoxin zearalenone has 17beta-estradiol-like estrogenic activity that enables it toinduce hyperactivated motility of equine sperm cells, whereas the zearalenol derivatives induce prematurecompletion of the acrosome reaction and thereby adversely affect stallion sperm physiology. The alpha form ofzearalenol still possessed the estrogenic ability to induce hyperactivated motility, whereas its beta stereo-isomerehad lost this property.

Autore Pugliese

• Minervini Fiorenza

Tutti gli autori

• Filannino A.; Stout T.; Gadella B.M.; Sostaric E.; Pizzi F.; Colenbrander B.; Dell'Aquila M.E.; Minervini F.

Titolo volume/Rivista

Reproductive biology and endocrinology

Anno di pubblicazione

2011

ISSN

1477-7827

ISBN

Non Disponibile

Numero di citazioni Wos

Nessuna citazione

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Numero di citazioni Scopus

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Ultimo Aggiornamento Citazioni

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Settori ERC

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Codici ASJC

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