title: Effects of combinations of ochratoxin A and T-2 toxin on immune function of yellow-feathered broiler chickens.
abstract: The study was to investigate the effects of combinations of ochratoxin A (OTA) and T-2 toxin on immune function of yellow-feathered broiler chickens. Three-hundred sixty 21-d-old broiler chickens were randomly assigned to 3 groups, each group consisting of 4 duplicates each with 30 chickens. The 3 groups were fed the following diets for 3 wk: C, basal diet (control, mycotoxin-free); L, basal diet + 0.25 mg/kg of OTA, 0.5 mg/kg of T-2 toxin; and H, basal diet + 0.5 mg/kg of OTA, 1 mg/kg of T-2 toxin. Body weight and feed consumption of chickens in the H group decreased significantly (P < 0.05) during the study, but their efficiency of feed utilization was not affected. The feeding of OTA-T-2 toxin diets decreased not only the relative weight of spleen, thymus, and bursa of Fabricius, but also serum concentrations of total protein, albumin, and globulin. Meanwhile, the feeding of OTA-T-2 toxin diets elevated the activities of serum gamma-glutamyltransferase, asparate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase. The results of methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium reduction assay indicated that the mitogenic responses of peripheral blood lymphocytes were diminished significantly (P < 0.05 for L group; P < 0.01 for H group). Flow cytometry was employed to determine 3 indexes in peripheral blood lymphocyte of broilers, including CD4(+)/CD3(+), CD8(+)/CD3(+), and CD4(+)/CD8(+). Both toxin treatments significantly decreased (P < 0.01) CD4(+)/CD3(+) and CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratios. In summary, the combination of OTA and T-2 toxin impaired chick immune function even at combined concentrations as low as 0.25 mg/kg of OTA and 0.5 mg/kg of T-2 toxin.
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, P. R. China.
authors.forename: G H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: C Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Y L
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: X B
authors.initials: XB
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Y Z
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Bi
authors.forename: Y C
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Cao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002060:Bursa of Fabricius / Q000187:drug effects; D002645:Chickens; D005241:Feathers; D005260:Female; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D008934:Mitogens / Q000378:metabolism; D009793:Ochratoxins / Q000633:toxicity*; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000276:immunology; D013154:Spleen / Q000187:drug effects; D013605:T-2 Toxin / Q000633:toxicity*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D008934:Mitogens; D009793:Ochratoxins; C025589:ochratoxin A; D013605:T-2 Toxin