Open AccessZearalenone Mycotoxin Affects Immune Mediators, MAPK Signalling Molecules, Nuclear Receptors and Genome-Wide Gene Expression in Pig Spleen
Author(s) -
Gina Cecilia Pistol,
Cornelia Braicu,
Monica Motiu,
Mihail Alexandru Gras,
Mariana Stancu,
Loredana Calin,
Florentina Israel-Roming,
Ioana BerindanNeagoe,
Ionelia Țăranu
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0127503
Subject(s) - biology , innate immune system , immune system , signal transduction , cytokine , proinflammatory cytokine , receptor , inflammation , spleen , microbiology and biotechnology , gene expression , immunology , gene , biochemistry
The toxicity of zearalenone (ZEA) was evaluated in swine spleen, a key organ for the innate and adaptative immune response. Weaned pigs were fed for 18 days with a control or a ZEA contaminated diet. The effect of ZEA was assessed on wide genome expression, pro- (TNF-α, IL-8, IL-6, IL-1β, IFN-γ) and anti-inflammatory (IL-10, IL-4) cytokines, other molecules involved in inflammatory processes (MMPs/TIMPs), as well as signaling molecules, (p38/JNK1/JNK2-MAPKs) and nuclear receptors (PPARγ/NFkB/AP-1/STAT3/c-JUN). Microarray analysis showed that 46% of total number of differentially expressed genes was involved in cellular signaling pathway, 13% in cytokine network and 10% in the inflammatory response. ZEA increased expression and synthesis of pro- inflammatory (TNF-α, IL-8, IL-6, IL-1β) and had no effect on IFN-γ, IL-4 and IL-10 cytokines in spleen. The inflammatory stimulation might be a consequence of JNK pathway activation rather than of p-38MAPK and NF-kB involvement whose gene and protein expression were suppressed by ZEA action. In summary, our findings indicated the role of ZEA as an immune disruptor at spleen level.