Abstract
In this study, adult fertile female and male rabbits were divided into groups of 5. Several experiments were performed at various possible reproductive conditions as follows: one of the female groups received the toxins before mating, and another group of females was treated in the first week after mating, while a third group of females was treated in the fourth week after mating. All these experimental groups as well as control groups of females were mated by untreated fertile males. Moreover, another experiment included a group of treated males used to mate untreated females.
Semen was collected from each male rabbit before and after treatment, and evaluated for its gross and microscopical characteristics. Moreover, the electrophoretic pattern of the proteins in the seminal plasma was examined to investigate the protein fraction with which the aflatoxin was conjugated.
Animals were weighed twice weekly before and after treatment and all the animals including the litters were kept under observation throughout the study.
The results revealed an injurious effect on the reproductive performance in both sexes that received dietary aflatoxins (7.8 ppm aflatoxin B and 4.92 ppm aflatoxin G were received daily for a period of 7 days). It was found that the aflatoxin was secreted in the semen and conjugated with the gamma-globulin fraction of plasma proteins. The results are discussed.
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Hafez, A.H., Gomma, A., Mousa, S.A. et al. Aflatoxin and aflatoxicosis. IV. The effect of dietary aflatoxins on adult fertile male and female rabbits at various reproductive conditions. Mycopathologia 83, 183–186 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00437026
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00437026