The effect of maternal exposure to flaxseed on spermatogenesis in F(1) generation rats.
Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to a flaxseed (20 or 40%), flaxmeal (13 or 26%) or standard NIH AIN-93 (0% flaxseed control) diet throughout gestation and until their offspring were weaned. After weaning, F(1) generation males were placed in the same diet treatment groups as their mothers for 70 days. Statistically significant differences were not observed between either low-dose or high-dose flaxseed and flaxmeal-treated animals and the 0% flaxseed control animals for testis weights, homogenization resistant spermatid counts, daily sperm production rates, epididymal weights, seminal vesicle weights, seminiferous tubule fluid testosterone concentrations and the percentage of sperm abnormalities. The following statistically significant differences were observed when treated groups and the 0% flaxseed control groups were compared: (1) increases in serum LH in the 20% and 40% flaxseed treatment groups and in serum LH and testosterone in the 26% flaxmeal treatment group; (2) increases in the cauda epididymal weight from the 20% and 40% flaxseed groups; (3) increases in cauda epididymal sperm numbers/g epididymis from the 20% and 40% flaxseed and the 13% and 26% flaxmeal treatment groups; (4) a decrease in prostatic weight from the 20% flaxseed and 13% and 26% flaxmeal treatment groups. Prostate weight in the 40% flaxseed treatment group was lower but not statistically significantly different than the 0% flaxseed control group. Histological effects on spermatogenesis were not observed in either the control group, flaxmeal or the flaxseed treated groups.
Sprando
R L
RL
Division of Toxicological Research, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Food and Drug Administration, 8301 Muirkirk Road, Laurel, MD 20708, USA. rls@cfsan.fda.gov
Collins
T F
TF
Black
T N
TN
Olejnik
N
N
Rorie
J I
JI
Scott
M
M
Wiesenfeld
P
P
Babu
U S
US
O'Donnell
M
M
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D004032:Diet; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D019597:Flax / Q000633:toxicity*; D005837:Genitalia, Male / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000473:pathology; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D011247:Pregnancy; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012639:Seeds / Q000633:toxicity*; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000187:drug effects*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
D013739:Testosterone; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone