Abstract
Deoxynivalenol (DON) is one of the major mycotoxins produced by Fusarium fungi, and exposure to this mycotoxin requires an assessment of the potential adverse effects, even at low toxin levels. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a short-term, low-dose DON exposure on various gut health parameters in pigs. Piglets received a commercial feed or the same feed contaminated with DON (0.9 mg/kg feed) for 10 days, and two hours after a DON bolus (0.28 mg/kg BW), weight gain was determined and samples of different segments of the intestine were collected. Even the selected low dose of DON in the diet negatively affected weight gain and induced histomorphological alterations in the duodenum and jejunum. The mRNA expression of different tight junction (TJ) proteins, especially occludin, of inflammatory markers, like interleukin-1 beta and interleukin-10 and the oxidative stress marker heme-oxigenase1, were affected along the intestine by low levels of DON in the diet. Taken together, our results indicate that even after low-level exposure to DON, which has been generally considered as acceptable in animal feeds, clinically-relevant changes are measurable in markers of gut health and integrity.
Highlights
Deoxynivalenol (DON, vomitoxin) is the most frequently-occurring type B trichothecene produced by several field fungi, including Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium culmorum, and is commonly found in cereals and grains, wheat, barley and maize, in areas with a moderate climate.The effects of DON exposure on different animal species related to the concentration and duration of exposure has been described in several reviews [1,2,3,4]
In vivo animal studies and practical data support the hypothesis that moderate levels of exposure to DON result in temporary feed refusal, lower feed intake accompanied with a reduction in weight gain, whereas at higher doses of DON, clinical signs of intoxication include emesis, leukocytosis, hemorrhage and even circulatory shock [4,9,11]
It is believed that deeper crypts are an indication of a high cell turnover to permit the renewal of the villus in response to inflammation and toxic damage [44,45]. In light of this assumption, we investigated whether DON exposure affected the proliferation rate of intestinal cells, and subsequently, the proliferative marker Ki67 was evaluated
Summary
Deoxynivalenol (DON, vomitoxin) is the most frequently-occurring type B trichothecene produced by several field fungi, including Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium culmorum, and is commonly found in cereals and grains, wheat, barley and maize, in areas with a moderate climate.The effects of DON exposure on different animal species related to the concentration and duration of exposure has been described in several reviews [1,2,3,4]. In vivo animal studies and practical data support the hypothesis that moderate levels of exposure to DON result in temporary feed refusal, lower feed intake accompanied with a reduction in weight gain, whereas at higher doses of DON, clinical signs of intoxication include emesis, leukocytosis, hemorrhage and even circulatory shock [4,9,11]. There are obvious species variations in the susceptibility to DON, and pigs show the highest sensitivity to DON. The recommended maximum acceptable level for DON according to European Commission Recommendation
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