Mechanisms of infertility caused by gossipol in rats and protective effect of vitamin E

• Grant number: 12/22684-6
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: March 01, 2013
• End date: February 28, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry
• Principal Investigator: Fábio Erminio Mingatto
• Grantee: Fábio Erminio Mingatto
• Host Institution: Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus Experimental de Dracena. Dracena , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The bran cotton (Gossypium sp) is the world's second most important source available or protein supplement for animal feed, surpassed only by soybeans. Gossypol is a toxic phenolic substance present in cottonseed that has been shown to reduce fertility in farm animals. In this sense, it is essential to elucidate the toxicological characteristics of gossypol, so that cottonseed meal can be used safely by farmers without harming animal performance. Due to these aspects the aim of this work is to evaluate the effects of gossypol on sperm production in rats including damage assessment in homogenate and mitochondria isolated from testes, besides analyzing the action of vitamin E in inhibiting the toxic effects of gossypol. Will be used 4 groups of 6 animals each, namely G1 (control) animals treated with canola oil; G2 (TG): will receive Acetic Acid solution gossypol dissolved in canola oil as a vehicle (40 mg / kg body weight) , G3 (TE): will receive solution containing vitamin E dissolved in canola oil as a vehicle (100 mg / kg body weight), G4 (TG + E) will receive gossypol Acetic Acid solution (40 mg / kg body weight) and solution containing vitamin E (100 mg / kg body weight). The animals will be treated for 15 days and in the final will be performed analyzes to determine sperm concentration, activity of the enzymes glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione reductase (GR), levels of GSH and GSSG, evaluation of lipid peroxidation and level of thiol groups of protein in the testis homogenate, besides of mitochondrial respiration, membrane potential and ATP synthesis in mitochondria isolated from testis. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

SANTANA, ANDREIA T.; GUELFI, MARIELI; MEDEIROS, HYLLANA C. D.; TAVARES, MARCO A.; BIZERRA, PAULO F. V.; MINGATTO, FABIO E.. Mechanisms involved in reproductive damage caused by gossypol in rats and protective effects of vitamin E. Biological Research, v. 48, JUL 31 2015. (12/08668-8, 12/22684-6)