Abstract

The purpose of this studywas to assess the natural exposure ofmale horses (Equus caballus) to the mycotoxin zearalenone (ZEA) byusing the ELISA test and to evaluate the effects of in vitro exposure of sperm cells to mycotoxin-containing urine extracts on spermchromatin structure stability. Because of their occurrence in urine samples, ZEA and its derivatives were tested by sperm chromatinstructure 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 flowcytometry. Different parameters of theDNA fragmentation index (DFI), such as the mean (¯X  DFI), the percentage (%-DFI), and thestandard deviation (SD-DFI), were analyzed. Urine samples showed a mean level of 32.3 ng/mL ZEA with significantly higherconcentrations in northeastern European samples than in Italian samples, probably in relation to climatic and feeding differences. Thetoxic effects of ZEA-containing urine samples on SCSA parameters were found at low ZEA concentrations and were mainly observedin Italian samples. By using mycotoxin standards, ZEA, a-zearalenol, and b-zearalenol proved to be more toxic compounds for spermchromatin stability than other tested derivatives. A nongenomic mechanism of action can be hypothesized.

Autore Pugliese

• Minervini Fiorenza

Tutti gli autori

• Minervini F.; Lacalandra G.M.; Filannino A.; Nicassio M.; Visconti A.; Dell'Aquila M.E.

Titolo volume/Rivista

Theriogenology

Anno di pubblicazione

2010

ISSN

0093-691X

ISBN

Non Disponibile

Numero di citazioni Wos

Nessuna citazione

Ultimo Aggiornamento Citazioni

Non Disponibile

Numero di citazioni Scopus

Non Disponibile

Ultimo Aggiornamento Citazioni

Non Disponibile

Settori ERC

Non Disponibile

Codici ASJC

Non Disponibile