Trona, an evaporite mineral containing sodium carbonate and erroneously referred to as “potash” is largely consumed in African countries. Trona naturally coexists in nature with other substances which are consumed along with it. Studies have indicated that intake of high sodium diet could be detrimental to reproductive capability. However, there is dearth of information on the actual effects of trona on male reproductive functions. The effects of three varieties of trona locally named bilala, morinso and lobutu were investigated on reproductive functions in male Wistar rats. Three varieties of trona were obtained from Bodija Market, Ibadan, Oyo state, Nigeria. Geochemistry and mineralogy of the three samples was done at the Activation Laboratories Limited, Ancaster, Ontario, Canada. Twenty male Wistar rats (130 – 150 g) were divided into four groups (n=5) and treated for 56 days as follows: group 1 received distilled water; group 2 received 400 mg/kg of trona-bilala/day; group 3 received 400 mg/kg of trona-morinso/day; and group 4 received 400 mg/kg of trona-lobutu/day. The animals were weighed at the end of each week. At sacrifice, blood was collected via cardiac puncture and reproductive organs were harvested and weighed using a digital weighing scale. Serum levels of testosterone, Luteinising Hormone (LH) and Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) were analyzed via ELISA. Testicular malondialdehyde level, Superoxide Dismutase (SOD), and catalase activities were assessed by spectrophotometry. Histology of testis was done. Data were summarised as mean+SEM and analyzed using ANOVA at p≤0.05. Geochemistry showed trona content of trona-bilala, trona-morinso, trona-lobutu to be 83.8%, 69.2% and 59.3%, respectively. The other constituents which are amorphous, pirssonite, halite, sylvite, merlinoite, magadite, and quartz were present at different proportions. Relative weights of testes and seminal vesicles increased significantly in the trona-lobutu group (0.60±0.02, 0.43±0.02) compared with trona-morinso (0.49±0.03, 0.27±0.04) and control (0.48±0.02, 0.02±0.04) groups. In trona-morinso and trona-lobutu groups, serum FSH level (18.29±1.01, 17.94±0.40 vs 0.26±0.01, 0.28±0.02 μIU/mL; p≤0.05; [n=4 in trona-lobutu group]) increased compared with trona-bilala and control group while testosterone (2.27±0.78, 2.15±0.52 vs 11.91±2.71 ng/mL; p≤0.05) decreased relative to control group. The LH level decreased in trona-lobutu group relative to trona-bilala, trona-morinso and control groups (0.23±0.01 vs 12.93±0.59, 13.87±0.68, 12.81±0.96 μIU/mL; p≤0.05). Testicular MDA level (6.10±0.40, 7.62±1.02 vs 2.67±0.52, 2.50±0.32 μM; p≤0.05) increased while SOD (0.32±0.06, 0.40±0.50 vs 1.01±0.03, 0.72±0.04 U/mL; p≤0.05) decreased in trona-morinso and trona-lobutu groups compared with trona-bilala and control groups. Testicular histology showed different degrees of aberration in the three treated groups. The three varieties of trona used in this study disrupted reproductive functions of male Wistar rats with trona-morinso and trona-lobutu exerting more severe detrimental effects. These two varieties of trona had lower trona content than trona-bilala suggesting that the substances that coexist with trona have more damaging effects on the testes and reproductive hormones than trona itself. The ingestion of trona should be discouraged among the general populace, most especially among those who erroneously use it as a therapy against reproductive dysfunction.
Future Physiology 2020 (Virutal) (2020) Proc Physiol Soc 46, PC0140
Poster Communications: TRONA, A COMMONLY USED FOOD ADDITIVE DISRUPTS REPRODUCTIVE FUNCTIONS OF MALE WISTAR RATS
Opeyemi Akindele1, Olufadekemi Kunle-Alabi1, Oluwakemi Ogunyelu1, Yinusa Raji1
1 Laboratory for Reproductive Physiology and Developmental Programming, Department of Physiology, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
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Where applicable, experiments conform with Society ethical requirements.