Pathology of citrinin feeding for two generations in male Wistar rats

Citrinin (CIT) is primarily a nephrotoxic compound and is often encountered with ochratoxin A as feed contaminant. The present study was conducted to examine the pathomorphological effect of citrinin on two generations of Male Wistar rats, fed with graded doses of citrinin (1 ppm, 3 ppm & 5 ppm).Grossly, kidneys and livers were moderately enlarged and showed variable degree of surface discoloration and mottling in 5 ppm CIT group rats. Significant decreases in relative testicular weights were seen in the highest CIT dose group. A consistent increase in relative weights of kidneys and liver while a decrease in the relative weights of spleen was observed in both generations, in a dose-dependent manner. Significant histopathological changes in CIT groups were observed in liver and kidneys and mild to moderate lesions in spleen and brain. Kidney was the most severely affected organ. In testes, partial loss of spermatogonial cells and disruption of the spermatogonial cell patterns and increase in inter tubular spaces was seen in both generations in a dose- dependent manner.It was concluded in the present study that CITinduces toxic effects till F1 generation in males Wistar rats by producing dose-dependent pathomorphological alterations in important visceral organs.