Effects of aflatoxins on male reproductive system: A review

PDF
Published: Jan 31, 2018
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12681/jhvms.15863
Keywords:
mycotoxins aflatoxins reproduction sperm male animals spermatotoxic effects
G. D. KOUROUSEKOS (Γ.Δ. ΚΟΥΡΟΥΣΕΚΟΣ)
Department of Agricultural Technology, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Food Technology and Nutrition,Technological Education Institute of Western Macedonia
E. Κ. THEODOSIADOU (ΑΙΚ. Κ ΘΕΟΔΟΣΙΑΔΟΥ)
Laboratory of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaly
Abstract

Mycotoxins constitute toxic substances produced by certain species of fungi. Among other mycotoxins, aflatoxins are considered to be really dangerous, since they are characterized as carcinogenic for animals and humans. The consumption of aflatoxins through feeds or foods could lead to deleterious effects on animals’ or humans’ health. Research on animals has shown that the general body condition as well as some of the blood parameters, mainly those of the liver could be negatively affected with aflatoxin administration. Regarding the reproductive system, although not extensively studied, some investigators support the negative effects of aflatoxins either on females or on males. More specifically, in male, the size and weight of the genital organs, the spermatogenesis, the number, the motility and the morphology of sperm cells as well as hormones’ concentrations could be affected after exposure of the animals to aflatoxins, making infertility problems more frequent. Most studies refer to laboratory and less to productive animals, while only two studies refer to the possible problems of infertility on men due to aflatoxins. Since reproduction consists one of the most important sectors of animal husbandry, special attention should be paid to nutrition so that the possibility of the aflatoxin consumption by animals would be eliminated, the animal health especially regarding the reproductive system would be protected and economic losses would be ameliorated.

Article Details
  • Section
  • Review Articles
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

· Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.

· Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g. post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.

· Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (preferably in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.

Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
References
Agnes VF, Akbarsha MA (2003) Spermatotoxic effect of aflatoxin B1 in the albino mouse. Food Chem Toxicol 41:119-130.
Ahmed KA, El Mahady MM, Badawy SA, Ahmed YF, Aly MA (2012) Pathological consequences of aflatoxins in male rabbit: Cellular, genetic and oxidative damage. Global Veterinaria 9:42-52.
Arora RG, Frolen H, Nilsson A (1981) Interference of mycotoxins with prenatal development of the mouse. I. Influence of aflatoxin B1, ochratoxin A and zearalenone. Acta Vet Scand 22:524-534.
Bennett JW, Klich M (2003) Mycotoxins. Clin Microbiol Rev 16:497-516.
Brevini TAL, Cillo F, Antonini S, Gandolfi F (2005) Effects of endocrine disruptors on the oocytes and embryos of farm animals. Reprod Dom Anim 40:291-299.
Clarke RN, Ottinger MA (1987) The response of the anterior pituitary and testes to synthetic luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) and the effect of castration on pituitary responsiveness in the maturing chicken fed aflatoxin. Biol Reprod 37:556-563.
Crain A, Janssen S, Edwards T, Heindel J, Ho S, Hunt P, Iguchi T, Juul A, McLachlan J, Schwartz J, Skakkebaek N, Soto A, Swan S, Walker C, Woodruff T, Woodruff T, Giudice L, Guillette LJr (2008) Female reproductive disorders: the roles of endocrine-disrupting compounds and developmental timing. Fertil Steril 90:911-940.
Diekman MA, Green ML (1992) Mycotoxins and reproduction in domestic livestock. J Anim Sci 70:1615-1627.
Doerr JA, Ottinger MA (1980) Delayed reproductive development resulting from aflatoxicosis in juvenile Japanese quail. Poult Sci 59:1995-2001.
Egbunike GN, Emerole GO, Aire TA, Ikegwuonu FI (1980) Sperm production rates, sperm physiology and fertility in rats chronically treated with sublethal doses of aflatoxin B1. Andrologia 12:467-475.
Eraslan G, Akdogan M, Liman BC, Kanbur M, Delibas N (2006) Effects of dietary aflatoxin and hydrate sodium calcium aluminosilicate on triiodothyronine, thyroxine, thyrotrophin and testosterone levels in quails. Turk J Vet Anim Sci 30:41-45.
Faisal K, Faridha A, Akbarsha MA (2008a) Induction of meiotic micronuclei in spermatocytes in vivo by aflatoxin B1: light and transmission electron microscopic study in Swiss mouse. Reprod Toxicol 26:303-309.
Faisal K, Periasamy VS, Sahabudeen S, Radha A, Anandhi R, Akbarsha MA (2008b) Spermatotoxic effect of aflatoxin B1 in rat: extrusion of outer dense fibres and associated axonemal microtubule doublets of sperm flagellum. Reproduction 135:303-310.
Fapohunda SO, Ezekiel CN, Alabi OA, Omole A, Chioma SO (2008) Aflatoxin-mediated Sperm and Blood Cell Abnormalities in Mice Fed with Contaminated Corn. Mycobiology 36:255-259.
Faridha A, Faisal K, Akbarsha MA (2007) Aflatoxin treatment brings about generation of multinucleate giant spermatids (symplasts) through opening of cytoplasmic bridges: light and transmission electron microscopic study in Swiss mouse. Reprod Toxicol 24:403-408.
Fenner-Crisp PA (2000) Endocrine modulators: Risk characterization and assessment. Toxicol Pathol 28:438-440.
Gopal T, Oehme FW, Liao TF, Chen CL (1980) Effects of intratesticular aflatoxin B1 on rat testes and blood estrogens. Toxicol Lett 5:263-267.
Hafez AH, Megalla SE, Mahmed AA (1982) Aflatoxin and aflatoxicosis. III. Effect of dietary aflatoxin on the morphology of buffalo bull spermatozoa. Mycopathologia 77:141-144.
Hasanzadeh Sh, Hosseini E, Rezazadeh L (2011) Effects of aflatoxin B1 on profiles of gonadotropic (FSH and LH), steroid (testosterone and 17β-estradiol) and prolactin hormones in adult male rat. Iran J Vet Res 12:332-336.
Hassan AA, Rashid MA, Koratum KM (2010) Effect of aflatoxin B1, zearalenone and ochratoxin A on some hormones related to fertility in male rats. Life Sci J 7:64-72.
Heidtmann-Bemvenuti R, Mendes GL, Scaglioni PT, Badiale-Furlong E, Souza-Soares LA (2011) Biochemistry and metabolism of mycotoxins: A review. Afr J Food Sci 5:861-869.
Hendry KM, Cole EC (1993) A review of mycotoxins in indoor air. J Toxicol Environ Health 38:183-198.
Humfrey CDN (1998) Phytoestrogens and human health effects: Weighing up the current evidence. Nat Toxins 6:51-59.
Huuskonen P, Myllynen P, Storvik M, Pasanen M (2013) The effects of aflatoxin B1 on transporters and steroid metabolizing enzymes in JEG-3 cells. Toxicol Let 218:200-206.
Ibeh IN, Uraih N, Ogonar JI (1994) Dietary exposure to aflatoxin in human male infertility in Benin City, Nigeria. Int J Fertil Menopausal Stud 39:208-214.
Ibeh IN, Saxena DK (1997a) Aflatoxin B1 and reproduction. I. Reproductive performance in female rats. Afr J Reprod Health 1:79-84.
Ibeh IN, Saxena DK (1997b) Aflatoxin B1 and reproduction. II. Gametotoxicity in female rats. Afr J Reprod Health 1:85-89.
Ibeh IN, Saxena DK (1998) Effect of alpha-tocopherol supplementation on the impact of aflatoxin B1 on the testes of rats. Exp Toxicol Pathol 50:221-224.
Ibeh IN, Saxena DK, Uraih N (2000) Toxicity of aflatoxin: effects on spermatozoa, oocytes, and in vitro fertilization. J Environ Pathol Toxicol Oncol 19:357-361.
Kourousekos GD, Lymberopoulos A (2007) Occurrence of aflatoxins in milk and their effects on reproduction. J Hellenic Vet Med Soc 58:306-312.
Kourousekos GD, Theodosiadou E, Ververidis H, Belibasaki S, Boscos C, Saratsis P, Lymberopoulos AG (2008) Effect of aflatoxin B1 administration on serum steroid hormones concentrations of goats. Reprod Dom Anim 43:102.
Kourousekos GD, Theodosiadou E, Belibasaki S, Boscos C, Lymberopoulos AG (2012a) Effect of aflatoxin B1 on blood serum progesterone and oestradiol-17β concentrations of goats during anoestrus. Reprod Dom Anim 47:92.
Kourousekos GD, Theodosiadou E, Belibasaki S, Deligiannis K, Koukoulas Th, Zoulfos K, Lymberopoulos AG (2012b) Effects of aflatoxin B1 administration on Greek indigenous goats’ milk. Int Dairy J 24:123-129.
Kourousekos GD, Theodosiadou E (2013) Milk composition disturbance and animal organism dysfunction caused by aflatoxins: A review. In: (ed: Rudd LB) Milk Fat: Composition, Nutritional Value and Health Implications, Nova Science Publishers Inc.,
USA, 2013, pp. 1-26.
Leung MCK, Diaz-Llano G, Smith TK (2006) Mycotoxins in Pet Food: A review on worldwide prevalence and preventative strategies. J Agric Food Chem 54:9623-9635.
Mathuria N, Verma RJ (2008) Curcumin ameliorates aflatoxin-induced toxicity in mice spermatozoa. Fertil Steril 90:775-780.
Nilsson R. (2000) Endocrine modulators in the food chain and environment. Toxicol Pathol 28:420-431.
Ortatatli M, Ciftci MK, Tuzcu M, Kaya A (2002) The effects of aflatoxin on the reproductive system of roosters. Res Vet Sci 72:29-36.
Picha J, Cerovsky J, Pichova D (1986) Fluctuation in the concentration of sex steroids and aflatoxin B1 in the seminal plasma of boars and its relation to sperm production. Vet Med 31:347-357.
Sahay M (1993) Aflatoxin induced testicular degeneration and decreased meiotic index in Rattus norvegicus. Cytobios 75:191-195.
Salem MH, Kamel KI, Yousef MI, Hassan GA, EL-Nouty FD (2001) Protective role of ascorbic acid to enhance semen quality of rabbits treated with sublethal doses ofaflatoxin B(1). Toxicology 162:209-218.
Sanderson T (2006) The steroid hormone biosynthesis pathway as a target for endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Toxicol Sci 94:3-21.
Schmidt RE, Panciera RJ (1980) Effects of aflatoxins on pregnant hamsters and hamster fetuses. J Comp Pathol 90:339-347.
Sharlin JS, Howarth BJr, Wyatt RD (1980) Effect of dietary aflatoxin on reproductive performance of mature White Leghorn males. Poult Sci 59:1311-1315.
Shuaib FMB, Ehiri J, Abdullahi A, Williams JH, Jolly PE (2010) Reproductive health effects of aflatoxins: A review of the literature. Reprod Toxicol 29:262-270.
Sinha SP, Dharmshila K (1994) Vitamin A ameliorates the genotoxicity in mice of aflatoxin B1-containing Aspergillus flavus infested food. Cytobios 79:85-95.
Storvik M, Huuskonen P, Kyllonen T, Lehtonen S, El-Nezami H, Auriola S, Pasanen M (2011) Aflatoxin B1 - a potential endocrine disruptor - up-regulates CYP19A1 in JEG-3 cells. Toxicol Let 202:161-167.
Tajik P, Mirshokraee P, Khosravi A (2007) Effects of different concentrations of aflatoxin B on ram epididymal and ejaculatory sperm viability and motility in vitro. Pak J Biol Sci 10:4500-4504.
Uriah N, Ibeh IN, Oluwafemi F (2001) A Study on the Impact of Aflatoxin on Human Reproduction. Afr J Reprod Health 5:106-110.
Verma RJ, Nair A (2002) Effect of aflatoxins on testicular steroidogenesis and amelioration by vitamin E. Food Chem Toxicol 40:669-672.
Whitlow LW, Hagler WM (2005) Mycotoxins: A review of dairy concerns. Mid-South Ruminant Nutrition Conference, pp. 47-58.
Williams JH, Phillips TD, Jolly PE, Stiles JK, Jolly CM, Aggarwal D (2004) Human aflatoxicosis in developing countries: a review of toxicology, exposure, potential health consequences, and interventions. Am J Clin Nutr 80:1106-1122.
Most read articles by the same author(s)