Assessment of A-trichothecene mycotoxins (T-2 and HT-2 toxins) effect combined with growth factor IGF-I, and the metabolic hormones leptin and ghrelin on progesterone secretion by rabbit ovarian fragments was studied. Rabbit ovarian fragments were incubated without (control group) or with T-2/HT-2 toxin, or their combinations with insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), leptin or ghrelin at various concentrations for 24 h. Secretion of progesterone was determined by ELISA. First, T-2 toxin and HT-2 toxins at all doses used (0.01, 0.1, 1, 10, and 100 ng mL(-1)) were not shown to be potential regulators of progesterone secretion in rabbit ovarian fragments. Second, T-2 toxin but not HT-2 toxin combined with IGF-I was shown to be potential regulator of progesterone secretion in rabbit ovarian fragments. T-2 toxin at all doses used (0.01; 0.1; 1; 10; and 100 ng mL(-1)) combined with IGF-I (at dose 100 ng mL(-1)) significantly (P < 0.05) decreased progesterone secretion by rabbit ovarian fragments. Third, T-2 toxin and HT-2 toxin at all doses used in the study (0.01, 0.1, 1, 10, and 100 ng mL(-1)) combined with leptin (at dose 1000 ng mL(-1)) were not shown to be potential regulators of progesterone secretion in rabbit ovarian fragments. Furthermore, T-2 toxin and HT-2 toxin at all doses used in the study (0.01, 0.1, 1, 10, and 100 ng mL(-1)) combined with ghrelin (500 ng mL(-1)) were not shown to be potential regulators of progesterone secretion in rabbit ovarian fragments. Results in this study showed that trichothecene as T-2 toxin combined with IGF-I but not HT-2 toxin was able to decrease progesterone secretion in rabbit ovarian fragments in vitro. Experimental results of T-2 and HT-2 toxins combined with leptin and ghrelin did not confirm ability to modulate progesterone secretion by ovarian fragments in rabbits.
Keywords: HT-2 toxin; IGF-I; Progesterone; T-2 toxin; ghrelin; leptin; ovary; rabbit.