Effect of Aflatoxin B1 on the Function of Peritoneal Macrophage from Mule Duck

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) alone or mixed function oxidase (MFO)- activated AFB1 on various functions of mule duck peritoneal macrophages. Duck peritoneal macrophages were incubated with AFB1 0, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 µg/ml for 12 h. The cell viability significantly declined as the concentration of AFB1 increased and more obviously detrimental effects was noticed in MFO-metabolized AFB1 treatments. Either in opsonized or unopsonized Candida albicans, phagocytotic ability of macrophages was decreased with the elevation of the concentration of AFB1. Significantly higher levels of macrophages were damaged in MFO-metabolized AFB1 than AFB1 alone in concentrations above 20 µg/ml. The cytotoxicity activity was in the range of 41 to 33% after exposure to AFB1 5 to 100 µg/ml, and a significant higher TNF-like substance secretion by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation was obtained. When LPS was present in the medium, the percentage of cytotoxicity was higher than all treatments of AFB1 both with and without MFO-activation in the absence of LPS. The results suggest that MFO-metabolized AFB1 can alter cell viability and morphology of duck macrophages more than AFB1 administered alone. Both with and without MFO- activation, AFB1 has detrimental effects on phagocytotic ability and TNF-like substance secretion, increasing with level of AFB1. (Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 2002. Vol 15, No. 3 : 438-444)