Pathological Effects of Graded Doses of Aflatoxin B1 on the Development of Testes in Juvenile White Leghorn Males

Abstract

Current experiment was planned to investigate the deleterious effects of the graded dose of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) on White Leghorn Male Birds. For this purpose, 100 birds of 8 week age were divided into 4 equal groups and reared on feed contaminated with different doses of AFB1 for 10 weeks. Group A was kept as a control group and was fed with normal toxin free diet, group B, C, and D were offered feed containing 100 ppb, 200 ppb, and 400 ppb of AFB1 respectively. The birds were euthanized at the 4th and 10th week of the experiment. Clinical signs, behavioral changes, absolute and relative organ weight of testes, sperm motility were measured. Cellular immune response was observed through CCA, P-HAP, and antibody response against SRBC. Results showed a dose-dependent decline in the immune response of birds with the increase in the level of AFB1 in the feed. A significant decrease in the serum levels of testosterone, prolactin, and LH was observed. Grossly, testicular size and volume were reduced in ABF1 fed birds while histological examination showed mild to moderate and severe necrosis of testicular parenchyma, with partial to complete arrest of spermatogenesis. Very few spermatozoa were found in group C while they were almost absent in group D which was offered a diet containing 400 ppb AFB1. The above-mentioned results showed that AFB1 had severe toxic effects on the reproductive and immunological parameters of WLH birds in a dose-dependent manner.