Determination of Ochratoxin A accumulation in kidney and liver of wistar male rats [Rattus norvegicus] fed with ota containing diet and relation with testosterone hormone levels

In this study, plasma and organ (kidney and liver) OTA levels of OTA-treated normal male and female rats and castrated rats were determined and their OTA levels were evaluated according to sample types, time, sex and castration. For this purpose, rats were put in seven groups. For the determination of time-dependent OTA changes in organs and plasma, normal males were treated with OTA for 6, 12 and 24 weeks. Female rats were also treated with OTA for 24 weeks for the determination of sex-dependent OTA levels of organs and plasma. To find out the role of testosterone in organ and plasma OTA levels, a group of rats were castrated after 6 weeks of OTA treatment and then continued to be fed with OTA containing food for a further 18 weeks. OTA analysis of organs and plasma samples were carried out using HPLC with a fluorescence detector and testosterone levels of normal and castrated males? plasma samples were determined with an ELISA based technique.The OTA levels of organs and plasma samples were evaluated according to organ type, OTA-treatment period, sex and castration. When OTA levels of kidney and liver of the rats were compared, there were statistically significant differences between the organs (P<0.05), except in the organs of 12 and 24 week OTA-treated normal male rats (P>0.05).When organ and plasma OTA levels of the male rats were compared according to the OTA-treatment period, it was found that there was an increase in week 12 (compared to week 6) and then a decrease in week 24. The kidney OTA levels in three different time periods showed statistically significant differences (P<0.001). When liver OTA levels were compared, there were no statistical differences between week 6 and other weeks (P>0.05) but there were statistically significant differences between weeks 12 and 24 (P<0.001). When the plasma OTA levels of the male rats were compared according to their OTA-treatment period, there were no differences between weeks 6 and 12 (P>0.05) but in week 24, OTA levels of the plasma were significantly lower than the other two weeks (P<0.001).In order to find out whether males and females? organ and plasma OTA levels differ, 24 weeks OTA treated males and females? organ and plasma OTA levels were compared and it was found that the organ and plasma OTA levels of females were significantly higher than males (P<0.001). The result showed that organ and tissue OTA levels in rats are sex dependent.In order to find out whether males? organ and plasma levels are testosterone dependent, the testes of a group of males were removed (castrated) after receiving 6 weeks OTA treatment and then their organs and plasma samples were collected at the end of their 24 week OTA treatment. It was found that the testosterone levels of normal males, OTA-treated normal males and OTA-treated castrated males were similar to each other (3.61- 4.86 ng/ml) and the castration dramatically reduced the plasma testosterone level in castrated males (0.19 ng/ml). When OTA levels of normal and castrated males were compared, there were no significant differences in the liver and plasma OTA levels of the rats (P>0.05) but kidney OTA levels of the rats were statistically different (P<0.05).In summary; 1- The plasma and organ OTA levels of rats changes according to sex, being higher in females, 2- Males? organ and plasma OTA levels increase up to week 12 and then they decrease, 3- There are no significant differences between the organ and plasma OTA levels of males and 4- It seems that organ and plasma OTA levels of male Wistar Rats are independent from their plasma testosterone levels.