Effect of feeding tall fescue seed infected by endophytic fungus (Acremonium coenophialum ) on reproductive performance in male rats

An experiment was conducted to determine the effect of feeding tall fescue seed infected by an endophytic fungus Acremonium coenophialum on the reproductive performance of male rats. Thirty 70-day-old rats were randomly allocated to four treatments: (I) fed 50% rat chow and 50% healthy fescue seed ad libitum (control; N=9; (II) same as I but restricted to the daily feed intake of III (N=7; (III) 50% fungal-infected fescue seed and 50% chow (N=7); and (IV) a mixture of 50% laboratory chow, 25% healthy fescue seed and 25% fungal-infected fescue seed (N=7). The rats were fed these diets for 42 days. During this time, body weights were taken weekly and feed intake was taken daily. At the end of the experiment, the rats were sacrificed and the testes and epididymides were excised and measured. Sperm parameters were assessed (concentration, percentage of motility and progressive motility) at the site of the cauda epididymis; the testes were homogenized and assessed for daily sperm production potential (DSP). Concentrations of spermatozoa (x 10(6)) among the various treatments were 645.6, 486.5, 387.4 and 457.1; motility and progressive motility measurements ranged from 48 to 50% and 2.3 to 2.4 (0-4), respectively. DSP values (per gram) and testicular weight were reduced (P<0.05) in Diet III. The data suggests that 50% fungal-infected fescue seed in the diet of rats does influence the DSP, testicular parechyma and epididymal weight in the rat.