Gossypol Promotes the Degeneration of Chicken Ovarian Follicles in Vitro

Abstract

Gossypol, a phenolic compound produced by the pigment glands of cotton, is known to affect male reproduction. In females, exposure to gossypol has been associated with interference with the estrous cycle and embryo development. In laying hens fed cottonseed, gossypol was found to reduce egg production and weight and to cause discoloration of the egg yolk and/or albumen. It is probable that gossypol directly affects ovarian follicles, but this has not been confirmed experimentally yet. Thus, the aim of the present study was to determine if gossypol affected cultivated ovarian follicles of the chicken. Ovarian follicles of adult female chickens were cultivated with different concentrations of gossypol (0, 5, 10 and 20 μg/mL) and classified according to the stage of development as primordial, transitional, primary, secondary or antral, and as viable or atretic. The percentages of viable and atretic follicles in the ovaries cultivated for 24 hours in the presence of gossypol were significantly different from those of the controls for all types of follicles except for secondary follicles, but in all types after cultivation for 7 days. The percentage of viable follicles was higher than that of atretic follicles in ovaries cultivated without gossypol. In contrast, ovaries cultivated with gossypol showed a predominance of atretic follicles. Gossypol increased the proportion of atretic follicles at all stages of development in cultivated chicken ovaries. Thus, gossypol may affect ovarian follicular viability and maturation, which might interfere with female fertility.

Dietary cottonseed consumption induced subfertility in male and female rats: a potent eco-friendly rodenticide compound

“…Furthermore, atretic follicle number was higher in treatment group, atretic follicle characterized as discontinuous basement membrane, retracted oocyte, pyknotic nucleus and disorganized granulosa cells. Study conducted by Gadelha et al (47), showed laying hens fed by cottonseed had more atretic follicles at all stages of development. The mechanism of ovarian toxicity of gossypol has not been fully understood, but may be due to cytotoxic and apoptotic activities.…”

The anti-angiogenic potential of (±) gossypol in comparison to suramin

“…Consistent with these studies, Jarzabek et al (2014) demonstrated that combined (±)-gossypol/TMZ (temozolomide) treatment has had inhibitory effects on tumor-associated angiogenesis, invasion, and cell proliferation in a glioblastoma-implementing cell line and, with respect to this, Jiang et al (2012) showed that (±)-gossypol inhibited angiogenesis by suppressing AP-1 and NF-jB activity. Gadelha et al (2016) reported that chicken ovaries treated with (±)-gossypol displayed an increased proportion of atretic follicles. (±)-Gossypol treatment has also directly damaged ovarian follicles.…”