The Effect of Fungal Toxins on the Sexual Behaviour of Rabbits

Abstract

Feeding rabbits with mycelium from Fusarium roseum is shown to produce infertility, the disappearance of aggressivity, and homosexual behaviour in males, while the effect of the females is only infertility. This mycelium contains the mycotoxin zearalenon which has effects similar to those of the female hormone. This fungus willingly grows uncommon crops and is consumed both by people and animals—although normally in very low doses. It cannot be ruled out that an increased growth of fungus, due to artificial fertilization, which then can be demonstrated to be found in food and consumed, can be a factor which increases the incidence of homosexual behavior in people.

One of the authors (Nilsson) has observed as a farmer that a change occurs in the crops with increased artificial fertilization of fields and forests, so that hay, grain and forest berries, for example, become mouldy more easily and more rapidly than when they are cultivated and grown without artificial fertilizers. And animals which are raised on crops which are cultivated this way become sicker and show both decreased capacity for reproduction and altered sexual behaviour (Roine et al. 1971).

Since fungi are well-known as producers of mycotoxins, it has been reasonable to attribute these changes to. the increased growth of fungi. In an earlier study the authors were able to show that blueberries from artificially fertilized forest land make hens infertile in that after eating these berries they laid eggs without shells or with defective shells. In large doses the blueberries were so toxic that all the hens died. There is reason to suspect that the toxic effects were caused both by mycotoxins and the absorption of very soluble aluminium compounds into the crops after artificial fertilization with ammonium nitrate or calcium nitrate (Nilsson & Lindahl, 1985).

The following study with rabbits has been carried out to test the effects of certain fungal toxins on sexual behavior.