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Influence of Prepubertal Consumption of Zearalenone on Sexual Development of Boars^1,2,

Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 and Indiana-Purdue University, Fort Wayne, IN 46805

⁶ Address reprint requests to this author.

Abstract

Littermate pairs of crossbred boars were fed 40 ppm zearalenone from 14 to 18 weeks of age, and the effects on reproductive development were examined. Compared to controls, boars fed zearalenone subsequently had reduced libido scores (P<.05), and fewer treated animals exhibited mating behavior. Plasma concentrations of testosterone were depressed (P<.05) during consumption of zearalenone. Zearalenone did not significantly affect age at which sperm were first voided in the urine (P<.25). Body weight and testicular size were not affected by zearalenone. At 36 weeks of age, testicular weight, epididymal weight, spermatid numbers, motility of cauda epididymal sperm and testicular morphology did not differ between control boars and those that had consumed zearalenone.

¹ Journal Paper No. 8450, Purdue Univ. Agr. Exp. Sta.

¹ The authors gratefully acknowledge International Minerals and Chemical Corp., Terre Haute, IN, for the gift of zearalenone; G. D. Niswender, Colorado State Univ., for supplying antisera to luteinizing hormone, testosterone and androstenedione, and N. R. Mason, Eli Lilly Co., for supplying antisera to estradiol-17β. The authors also express appreciation to Dr. W. W. Carlton and Nancy Martin for assistance in the histological preparation of testicular tissue and to Darlene Bender for secretarial assistance.

³ Dept. of Anim. Sci., Purdue Univ.

⁴ Dept. of Biol. Sci., Indiana-Purdue Univ.

⁵ Present address: Dept. of Anim. Sci., North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh 27650.

⁷ Present address: Dept. of Anim. Ind., Univ. of Connecticut, Storrs 06268.

⁸ Dept. of Botany and Plant Pathol., Purdue Univ.