Effects of monensin feeding during development on female rats and their offspring

Monensin is not toxic to aquatic macrophytes at environmentally relevant concentrations

Monensin, a common livestock feed additive, has been detected in surface waters around areas of intensive agriculture. The effect of this ionophore antibiotic on floating (Lemna gibba) and submersed (Myriophyllum spicatum, Elodea canadensis, Egeria densa) freshwater macrophytes was investigated under seminatural field conditions using 12,000 l of outdoor microcosms. Exposure concentrations of 0, 12, 25, 50, and 100 mug/l (n = 3) were evaluated over a 35-day period. Submersed plants were grown individually in 115-ml plastic "cone-tainers" and assessed for various growth and pigment end points. E. canadensis and M. spicatum also were grown in assemblages to represent model populations and two-species communities. Few statistically significant differences from control organisms were observed for any of the monitored end points. Overall, monensin is deemed unlikely to cause toxicity in freshwater macrophytes at current environmental concentrations. However, the ability to characterize toxicity in macrophytes is based partially on the relative growth rates (RGRs) of the plants. The greater the RGR, the more sensitive the assay may be to contaminants. The RGRs of E. canadensis and M. spicatum grown in model populations and communities were found to be significantly higher than the RGRs of plants grown individually. This implies that the "cone-tainer" method, although simple and easy to perform, may underestimate toxicity in simulated field studies.

Ionophores have limited effects on jejunal glucose absorption and energy metabolism in mice

Two experiments, Trial 1 (in vitro) and Trial 2 (in vivo), were conducted to examine the effects of ionophores, monensin, laidlomycin, and laidlomycin propionate on whole-animal O2 consumption, organ weights, jejunal glucose absorption, and O2 utilization, as well as growth, feed and water consumption, and feed efficiency. In Trial 1, 30 male Swiss-Webster mice, 8 wk old, were used to measure the in vitro effects of each of the ionophores at concentrations of 1.62 or 16.2 mM. Six combinations of three ionophores at two concentrations resulted in a total of eight treatments. All eight treatments were exposed to jejunal rings from a single mouse for a total of 30 observations per treatment. Jejunal rings were exposed to each ionophore treatment for 15 min. Laidlomycin propionate (16.2 mM) decreased (P < 0.02) glucose absorption, as estimated by H3-3-O-methyl glucose uptake compared with all other treatments, whereas laidlomycin propionate (1.62 mM) increased (P = 0.032) jejunal DM content compared with 16.2 mM laidlomycin propionate. In Trial 2, 40 5-wk-old mice were allotted into four treatments--control and 16.2 mM each of monensin, laidlomycin, and laidlomycin propionate--for a total of 10 observations per treatment. Ionophores were administered via the drinking water for 14 d. No ionophore treatment had any effect on whole-mouse O2 consumption. Monensin increased (P = 0.004) stomach size and decreased (P = 0.049) the efficiency of BW gain compared with controls. Laidlomycin propionate decreased (P = 0.032) the percentage of whole jejunum oxygen consumption due to oubain-sensitive respiration compared with control. The efficiency of intestinal glucose absorption was not changed due to treatment in either trial. Under the conditions of these studies, monensin, laidlomycin, and laidlomycin propionate had minimal and inconsistent effects on jejunal function and energy utilization in mice. This investigation suggests that changes in the energetic requirements of animals treated with ionophores are not an issue in animal production.