Toxic effects of T-2 toxin on reproductive system in male mice

Abstract

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of T-2 toxin on semen quality, fertility and serum testosterone concentration in mice. Adult male mice were mated with sexually mature untreated female mice after being exposed to intraperitoneal injection of T-2 toxin at 0, 5, 10 or 15 mg/kg body weight daily for 7 successive days. Semen quality, serum testosterone concentration and fertility of treated mice were assessed. The results showed that the number of abnormal spermatozoa increased significantly and a significant decrease in spermatozoa with integrated acrosome was observed in males treated with T-2 toxin at all doses, As well, the amount of live spermatozoa decreased significantly in mice treated with 10 and 15 mg/kg body weight T-2 toxin. Low pregnancy rate and high fetal resorption rate were observed when females were mated with T-2 toxin-exposed males. Testicular and cauda epididymal sperm counts, efficiency of sperm production and serum testosterone concentration were significantly reduced in mice treated with T-2 toxin at all doses in a dose-dependent manner. In conclusion, these findings indicated that T-2 toxin presented toxic effects on reproductive system of adult male mice.

T-2 Toxin Exposure Induces Apoptosis in TM3 Cells by Inhibiting Mammalian Target of Rapamycin/Serine/Threonine Protein Kinase(mTORC2/AKT) to Promote Ca2+Production

“…For males, the maturation of sexual organs and the emergence of sexual characteristics are directly influenced by TM3 cells. Yang’s experiment has demonstrated that T-2 toxin has negative effects on male fertility and other reproductive pathologies [ 24 ]. More research has proven that TM3 cells are influenced by T-2 toxin in a dose-dependent manner and has revealed the mechanisms of cytotoxicity [ 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 ].…”

T-2 Toxin—The Most Toxic Trichothecene Mycotoxin: Metabolism, Toxicity, and Decontamination Strategies

“…An in vivo study that aimed to evaluate the toxic effect of T-2 on a reproductive system revealed that this toxin affects male mice fertility [66]. The results showed that the number of live spermatozoa decreased significantly.…”

Updates on the Effect of Mycotoxins on Male Reproductive Efficiency in Mammals

“…Furthermore, intramuscular injection of increasing doses of AFB1 (10, 20, or 50 µg/kg BW) in adult rats resulted in the reduction of reproductive organ weights, daily sperm production, epididymal sperm count, viable sperm, and motile sperm [138]. Similarly, the T-2 toxin showed an increase in the number of abnormal spermatozoa and a decrease in spermatozoa count in adult male mice, and these resulted in low pregnancy rates and high fetal resorption after exposure to 10 and 15 mg/kg BW T-2 toxin [144].…”

“…Although the study of epigenetics initially focused on the role it plays as a regulatory system, recent landmark observations have linked environmental exposure and gene–environment interactions to a significant proportion of human malignancies. The Dutch Hunger Winter remains a classic example of such environmental interactions where pregnant women during the famine period gave birth to children and future generations who exhibited higher rates of obesity, diabetes, schizophrenia, and mortality upon adulthood [144]. The latter set forward the study of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance, where the germline undergoes epigenetic modifications inherited by future generations despite the extensive epigenetic resetting event, with epigenetic tags on some loci associated with metabolic and neurological disorders that can escape this reprogramming [160].…”