Expression of Caspase-3 and Caspase-8 of ovaries in SD rats exposed to zearalenone mycotoxicosis

To explore the effect of zearalenone on the expression of Caspase-3 and Caspase-8 of ovary in SD rats ovary.Ten-week old SD rats were treated with single-dose 5 mg/Kg zearalenone(corn oil solution) via intraperitoneal injection.The rats were sacrificed at 3,6,24,48,72 and 96 h after injection respectively,and ovaries were removed immediately,to compare the expression of Caspase-3 and Caspase-8.Through pathologic-histological observation,damage in ovaries was noticed to different extent,apoptosis of follicular cells was also found in the experiment.The results of immunohistochemistry-PV supersensitivity method indicated that the Caspase-3 and Caspase-8 were expressed both in overies of CG and EG,the expression of EG was significantly higher than that in CG.From 3 to 96 h,Caspase-3 expression in EG was significantly higher than that in CG(P0.05),and 3,6,12,24 and 48 h expression is higher than 72 and 96 h.Caspase-8 expressed in ovary of EG showed a significant deviation from that in CG(P0.05) at 6,12,72 and 96 h.The deviation was not significant at 3,24 and 48 h(P0.05),and 3,6,12,24 and 48 h expression is higher than the amount of 72 h and 96 h.Zearalenone may cause pathological changes in ovaries of SD rats and lead to apoptosis of follicular cells.Caspase-3 and Caspase-8 may play an important role the process.It is to be further explored why the expression of Caspase-8 is no significant deviation from the CG at several time points(3,24,and 48 h).