title: Sex-related differences in the immune response of weanling piglets exposed to low doses of fumonisin extract.
abstract: Fumonisin B1 (FB1) is a mycotoxin produced by Fusarium verticillioides, a fungus that commonly contaminates maize. Sex-related effects of FB1 have been observed with respect to carcinogenicity in rodents, to performances in pigs and immunosuppression in mice. In the present study the sex-related effect of FB1 on the pig immune response was determined. Female and castrated male piglets received for 28 d either control feed or feed contaminated with 8 mg FB1/kg feed in the form of F. verticillioides culture material. At day 7 and day 21, animals were immunised subcutaneously with a Mycoplasma agalactiae vaccine. Ingestion of FB1-contaminated feed significantly decreased weight gain in males but had no effect in females. No sex-related difference was observed in biochemical parameters, but a higher level of creatinine was noted in toxin-treated animals. FB1 also altered the pig immune response in a sex-specific manner. In males, ingestion of FB1-contaminated feed significantly decreased specific antibody levels after vaccination as well as the mRNA expression level of IL-10. In females, the toxin has no effect on specific antibodies or on cytokine mRNA levels. The results of the present study indicate that FB1 is immunosuppressive in pigs. The magnitude of this FB1-induced immunosuppression is highly dependent on sex, with males being more susceptible than females.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Pharmacologie-Toxicologie, UR 66, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: Daniela E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Marin
authors.forename: Ionelia
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Taranu
authors.forename: Florentina
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pascale
authors.forename: Alexandru
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lionide
authors.forename: Radu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Burlacu
authors.forename: Jean-Denis
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Bailly
authors.forename: Isabelle P
authors.initials: IP
authors.lastname: Oswald
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005506:Food Contamination; D005516:Food Microbiology; D037341:Fumonisins / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D008297:Male; D045644:Mycoplasma agalactiae / Q000276:immunology; D009183:Mycotoxins / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012737:Sex Factors; D013552:Swine / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D014611:Vaccination; D003313:Zea mays / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D016207:Cytokines; D037341:Fumonisins; D009183:Mycotoxins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C056933:fumonisin B1