Abstract
Gossypol, a polyphenol compound produced by cotton plant, has proven reproductive toxicity, but the effects of gossypol on sheep ovaries are unknown. This study was aimed to determine the in vitro and in vivo effects of gossypol on the ovarian follicles of sheep. This trial was divided into two experiments. In the first one, we used twelve non-pregnant, nulliparous, Santa Inês crossbred ewes, which were randomly distributed into two equal groups and fed diets with and without cottonseed cake. Feed was offered at 1.5% of the animal’s body weight for 63 days. The concentrations of total and free gossypol in the cottonseed cake were 3.28 mg/g and 0.11 mg/g, respectively. Throughout the trial period, no animal showed clinical signs of toxicity and no effects on body weight were observed. However, there was a significantly lower number of viable ovarian follicles (20.6%) and higher number of atretic follicles (79.4%) in the gossypol-fed sheep compared to the control (85.1 and 34.9%, respectively). These findings were observed at all stages of follicular development. In the second experiment, eight ovaries from slaughterhouse were cultured with different concentrations of gossypol acetic acid (0, 5, 10 and 20 μg/mL) for 24 hours or seven days. The in vitro action of gossypol resulted in a significant decrease in viable ovarian follicles, especially the primary and transition follicles, and a significant increase in the number of atretic follicles after 24 hours of culture. These follicles were greatly affected when cultured with gossypol for seven days. It is concluded that gossypol present in cotton seeds directly acts on ovarian follicles in sheep to increase atresia.
Highlights
Gossypol (2,2-bi(8-formyl-1,6,7-trihydroxy-5-isopropyl-3-methylnaphthalene)) is a phenolic compound produced by the pigment glands of cotton (Gossypium spp.) and is found mostly in the seeds of the plant
The average dose of consumed free gossypol was just 0.66 mg/kg BW/day, whereas the dose of the bound form was 19.7 mg/kg BW/day. Of this free gossypol dose was less than those used in calves and heifers earlier [17,28], bound gossypol might have contributed to the observed toxic effects since that bound forms of gossypol could release free gossypol during digestion [2]
Similar total plasma gossypol levels were observed in cows fed diets containing whole cottonseed with similar total gossypol concentrations but Follicles Primordial viable atretic
Summary
Gossypol (2,2-bi(8-formyl-1,6,7-trihydroxy-5-isopropyl-3-methylnaphthalene)) is a phenolic compound produced by the pigment glands of cotton (Gossypium spp.) and is found mostly in the seeds of the plant. Several studies have demonstrated that gossypol has deleterious effects on spermatogenesis by inhibiting sperm motility and decreasing spermatozoa concentration in semen, inducing mitochondrial lesions in spermatozoa flagella and causing germinal epithelial damage [2,3,4,5,6,7,8]. These effects depend on the dose and length of exposure, with reversion of these effects in bulls occurring 7 months after cessation of gossypol ingestion [9]. Gossypol exposure inhibits the influx of calcium and the activities of the Mg-ATPase and Ca-Mg-ATPase enzymes on the plasma cell membranes of spermatozoa [11]
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