Some effects of ochratoxin A, a mycotoxin contaminating feeds and food, on rat testis

In previous toxicokinetic studies, ochratoxin A (OTA) was found in testicles of laboratory animals. Therefore its possible adverse effects on the rat testis have been investigated. Male Wistar rats 300 g +/- 20 g, randomised in groups of 5 animals, were given OTA: 289 micrograms/kg in 0.1 M NaHCO3 every 48 h for 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks, by gastric intubation. This corresponds to a contamination of 2 ppm/day in the feeds. Controls were given only the vehicle. Some testicular enzymic activities and the stages of association of germinal cells (according to Leblond and Clermont) were determined. Some of these enzymic activities vary with the ochratoxin A poisoning in the homogenate of testicles: alpha-amylase, from 1905 +/- 145 units/g to 3190 +/- 128 units/g, alkaline phosphatase from 259 +/- 20 units/g to 323 +/- 15 units/g, gamma-glutamyltransferase (gamma GT), from 170 +/- 59 units/g to 900 +/- 65 units/g after 8 weeks. In adult rats, the increase of these enzymes, especially gamma GT, may be associated with an impairment of spermatogenesis and an accumulation of premeiotic germinal cells induced by OTA. Concerning the number of association stages of germinal cells, a decrease is observed for stages I and VII whereas stages XII and XIII increase after OTA treatment, indicating also a possible impairment of spermatogenesis. All these changes seem to be due to an earlier modification of the androgen status, the testosterone level in testes being 10.4 +/- 3.6 micrograms/g of protein after 3 weeks OTA treatment instead of 5.3 +/- 1 micrograms/g in control animals.