title: Zinc, thymic endocrine activity and mitogen responsiveness (PHA) in piglets exposed to maternal aflatoxicosis B1 and G1.
abstract: Growth retardation, thymic involution and impaired peripheral immune efficiency are constant events in piglets exposed to maternal aflatoxicosis. Zinc may play a key role because of its requirement for good immune responses, including thymic endocrine activity. Zinc is required to activate a thymic hormone, i.e. thymulin (ZnFTS), which is responsible for cell-mediated immunity. Zinc deficiency and decreased thymic endocrine activity are present in piglets fed from sows exposed to aflatoxins (AF) B1 and G1 as compared with healthy control piglets. In particular, active ZnFTS is decreased while concentrations of inactive thymulin (FTS) are high. The in vitro addition of zinc up to the plasma samples induces a reduction of inactive thymulin. The lymphocytes mitogen responsiveness (PHA) is decreased and a thymic cortical lymphocyte depletion is also present. These data suggest that the thymic defect, followed by impaired peripheral immune efficiency, may largely depend by the low peripheral zinc bioavailability to saturate all thymulin molecules produced.
authors.affiliation: Immunology Center, Res. Dept., Italian National Research Centres on Aging, Ancona.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mocchegiani
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Corradi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Santarelli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tibaldi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: DeAngelis
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Borghetti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bonomi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fabris
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cabassi
mesh_terms: D016604:Aflatoxin B1 / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000032:analysis; D000348:Aflatoxins / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D008892:Milk / Q000737:chemistry; D015651:Mycotoxicosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D011247:Pregnancy; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D013935:Thymic Factor, Circulating / Q000378:metabolism*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D000348:Aflatoxins; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; C027955:aflatoxin G1; D013935:Thymic Factor, Circulating; D016604:Aflatoxin B1; D015032:Zinc