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      Mechanisms involved in reproductive damage caused by gossypol in rats and protective effects of vitamin E

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          Abstract

          Background

          Gossypol is a chemical present in the seeds of cotton plants ( Gossypium sp.) that reduces fertility in farm animals. Vitamin E is an antioxidant and may help to protect cells and tissues against the deleterious effects of free radicals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the mechanisms of reproductive toxicity of gossypol in rats and the protective effects of vitamin E. Forty Wistar rats were used, divided into four experimental groups (n = 10): DMSO/saline + corn oil; DMSO/saline + vitamin E; gossypol + corn oil; and gossypol + vitamin E.

          Results

          Fertility was significantly reduced in male rats treated with gossypol in that a significant decrease in epididymal sperm count was observed ( P < 0.05) and the number of offspring was significantly reduced in females mated with them ( P < 0.05). This dysfunction was prevented by vitamin E. Gossypol caused a significant increase in the activity of the enzymes glutathione peroxidase ( P < 0.01) and glutathione reductase ( P < 0.01), but vitamin E did not reduce the enzyme activities ( P > 0.05). The levels of reduced glutathione and pyridine nucleotides in testis homogenate were significantly reduced by gossypol ( P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively) and this reduction was accompanied by increased levels of oxidized glutathione ( P < 0.05). Vitamin E showed a preventive effect on the changes in the levels of these substances. Gossypol significantly increased the levels of malondialdehyde ( P < 0.01), a lipid peroxidation indicator, whereas treatment with vitamin E inhibited the action of the gossypol. Vitamin E prevented a decrease in mitochondrial ATP induced by gossypol ( P < 0.05).

          Conclusions

          This study suggests that the reproductive dysfunction caused by gossypol may be related to oxidative stress and mitochondrial bioenergetic damage and that treatment with vitamin E can prevent the infertility caused by the toxin.

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          Most cited references102

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          Microsomal lipid peroxidation.

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            Free Radicals in Biology and Medicine

            Free Radicals in Biology and Medicine has become a classic text in the field of free radical and antioxidant research since its first publication in 1985. <br> This latest edition has been comprehensively rewritten and updated (over 80% of the text is new), while maintaining the clarity of its predecessor. There is expanded coverage of isoprostanes and related compounds, mechanisms of oxidative damage to DNA and proteins (and the repair of such damage), the free radical theory of aging and the roles played by reactive species in signal transduction, cell death, human reproduction, and other important biological events. Greater emphasis has also been placed on the methods available to measure reactive species and oxidative damage (and their potential pitfalls), as well as the importance of antioxidants in the human diet. <br> This book is recommended as a comprehensive introduction to the field for students, clinicians and researchers, and an invaluable companion to all those interested in the role of free radicals in the life and biomedical sciences.
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              Gossypol Toxicity from Cottonseed Products

              Gossypol is a phenolic compound produced by pigment glands in cotton stems, leaves, seeds, and flower buds (Gossypium spp.). Cottonseed meal is a by-product of cotton that is used for animal feeding because it is rich in oil and proteins. However, gossypol toxicity limits cottonseed use in animal feed. High concentrations of free gossypol may be responsible for acute clinical signs of gossypol poisoning which include respiratory distress, impaired body weight gain, anorexia, weakness, apathy, and death after several days. However, the most common toxic effects is the impairment of male and female reproduction. Another important toxic effect of gossypol is its interference with immune function, reducing an animal's resistance to infections and impairing the efficiency of vaccines. Preventive procedures to limit gossypol toxicity involve treatment of the cottonseed product to reduce the concentration of free gossypol with the most common treatment being exposure to heat. However, free gossypol can be released from the bound form during digestion. Agronomic selection has produced cotton varieties devoid of glands producing gossypol, but these varieties are not normally grown because they are less productive and are more vulnerable to attacks by insects.
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                Author and article information

                Contributors
                andreia_tieme@hotmail.com
                guelf_marieli@hotmail.com
                hyllanazootecnia@gmail.com
                marco.unesp@hotmail.com
                paulo.veiga22@bol.com.br
                fmingatto@dracena.unesp.br
                Journal
                Biol Res
                Biol. Res
                Biological Research
                BioMed Central (London )
                0716-9760
                0717-6287
                31 July 2015
                31 July 2015
                2015
                : 48
                : 1
                : 43
                Affiliations
                Laboratory of Metabolic and Toxicological Biochemistry, UNESP-Univ Estadual Paulista, Rod. Comandante João Ribeiro de Barros (SP-294), km 651, Dracena, SP 17900-000 Brazil
                Article
                26
                10.1186/s40659-015-0026-7
                4521381
                26227499
                4ab4ad88-a668-4dbc-abf5-a88cb975e2a1
                © Santana et al. 2015

                Open AccessThis article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver ( http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.

                History
                : 9 April 2015
                : 3 July 2015
                Categories
                Research Article
                Custom metadata
                © The Author(s) 2015

                gossypol,fertility,oxidative stress,bioenergetics,antioxidant system,vitamin e

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