Abstract
The intestinal epithelium is the first barrier against food contaminants. Zearalenone (ZEN) is an estrogenic mycotoxin that was identified as a common contaminant of cereal grains and food and feedstuffs. In the present study, we have investigated the in vitro effects of ZEN and some of its metabolites (α-ZOL, β-ZOL) in concentrations of 10–100 µM on a swine epithelial cell line: Intestinal porcine epithelial cells (IPEC-1). We demonstrated that both ZEN metabolites were more toxic for IPEC cells as resulted from the XTT test, while for doses lower than 10 µM, only β-ZOL showed a more pronounced cytotoxicity versus epithelial cells as resulted from neutral red assay. ZEN has no effect on TER values, while α-ZOL significantly decreased the TER values, starting with day 4 of treatment. β-ZOL had a dual effect, firstly it induced a significant increase of TER, and then, starting on day 6, it induced a dramatic decrease of TER values as compared with on day 0. Concerning the cytokine synthesis, our results showed that ZEN has a tendency to increase the synthesis of IL-8 and IL-10. By contrast, α- and β-ZOL decreased the expression of both IL-8 and IL-10, in a dose dependent manner. In conclusion, our results showed that ZEN and its metabolites differently affected porcine intestinal cell viability, transepithelial resistance and cytokine synthesis with important implication for gut health.
Highlights
The intestinal epithelium is the first barrier against food contaminants [1,2]
Concerning the cytokine synthesis, our results showed that ZEN has a tendency to increase the synthesis of IL-8 and IL-10
Zearalenone (ZEN) is an estrogenic mycotoxin that can be produced by several Fusarium species and it was identified as a common contaminant of cereal grains and food and feedstuffs [5]
Summary
Intestinal epithelial cells could be exposed to various concentrations of toxic substances like mycotoxins after the ingestion of contaminated food or feed [3,4]. Zearalenone (ZEN) is an estrogenic mycotoxin that can be produced by several Fusarium species and it was identified as a common contaminant of cereal grains and food and feedstuffs [5]. There is a need for data concerning the toxicity of ZEN in farm animals, and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recommends an increase of investigations in vivo and in vitro, especially at the cellular and molecular levels, in order to establish a comprehensive limit of tolerance in feed. We investigated the in vitro effects of ZEN and some of its metabolites (α-ZOL and β-ZOL) on several specific key parameters of the epithelium, such as cell viability, cytokines’. Epithelial integrity is crucial in maintaining the intestinal barrier, its decrease may lead to intestinal inflammation [8]
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