title: Effect of fumonisin-containing diet on the myenteric plexus of the jejunum in rats.
abstract: Fumonisins are mycotoxins that naturally occur as contaminants in grains that are destined for animal and human consumption. These mycotoxins cause hepatotoxic, nephrotoxic, carcinogenic, teratogenic, immunotoxic, and neurotoxic effects in different intensities based on dose, time of exposure, and animal species. In the present study, male Wistar rats were fed between postnatal days 21 and 63 with diets that contained fumonisins B1+B2 at concentrations of 1 and 3mg/kg. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of fumonisins on food intake, growth, weight gain, serum activity of the alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase enzymes, and quantitative and morphometric parameters of myenteric neurons in the jejunum that are immunoreactive to HuC/D protein and neuronal nitric oxide synthase enzyme (nNOS). Diets that contained fumonisins did not significantly alter food intake or body and blood parameters. We did not observe significant differences in the neuronal density and proportion of nitrergic neurons but found a significant reduction of cell body areas in both neuronal populations. This study is the first to report the effects of fumonisins in the enteric nervous system. The possible mechanisms by which fumonisins impair neuronal development and the use of the enteric nervous system as a tool for the study of the neurotoxic effects of fumonisins are discussed. In conclusion, fumonisin-containing food negatively affected the growth of myenteric neurons.
authors.affiliation: Coordenação de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná, Câmpus Dois Vizinhos, Brazil. Electronic address: fernandosousa@utfpr.edu.br.
authors.forename: Fernando Carlos
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Sousa
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciências Morfológicas, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Brazil.
authors.forename: Christiano Rodrigues
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Schamber
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciências Morfológicas, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sandra Sheila Seron
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Amorin
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciências Morfológicas, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Raquel Marçal
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Natali
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D002452:Cell Count; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D049108:Cell Enlargement / Q000187:drug effects; D004032:Diet; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects; D005506:Food Contamination; D037341:Fumonisins / Q000633:toxicity*; D007583:Jejunum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000294:innervation / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D009197:Myenteric Plexus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I / Q000378:metabolism; D011897:Random Allocation; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D037341:Fumonisins; C056934:fumonisin B2; C056933:fumonisin B1; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; C496322:Nos1 protein, rat; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase
keywords: Fumonisins; Mycotoxins; Myenteric neurons; Neuroplasticity; Neurotoxicity