title: Aflatoxin B1 Induced Compositional Changes in Gut Microbial Communities of Male F344 Rats.
abstract: Aflatoxins are a group of potent foodborne toxicants naturally occurring in maize and groundnuts. Differential species-specific sensitivity to aflatoxins has been documented but cannot be fully explained by the differences in metabolism of these toxicants among animal species. Commensal microbial communities (microbiota) are critical to human and animal health, but few studies have assessed interactions between xenobiotic toxins and those microbiota, and its potential effects to humans and animals. Here, an exploratory dosing experiment was conducted to explore effects of Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) on the gut microbiota in a commonly used rat model. Male F344 rats were randomly divided into groups and treated with different concentrations of AFB1. Microbial communities in fecal samples were assessed using 16S rRNA sequence analysis. We found that samples from the control group had a phylogenetically diverse community, and that increasing AFB1 doses decreased this diversity but increased evenness of community composition. In addition, the gut microbiota from different samples was clustered according to their dosing regimens. There is no community shift at the phylum level but some lactic acid bacteria were significantly depleted by AFB1. These findings suggested that AFB1 could modify the gut microbiota in a dose-dependent manner.
authors.affiliation: *Interdisciplinary Toxicology Program and Department of Environmental Health Science, College of Public Health, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602 *Interdisciplinary Toxicology Program and Department of Environmental Health Science, College of Public Health, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602.
authors.forename: Jincheng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: *Interdisciplinary Toxicology Program and Department of Environmental Health Science, College of Public Health, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602.
authors.forename: Lili
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: *Interdisciplinary Toxicology Program and Department of Environmental Health Science, College of Public Health, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602 *Interdisciplinary Toxicology Program and Department of Environmental Health Science, College of Public Health, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602.
authors.forename: Travis C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Glenn
authors.affiliation: *Interdisciplinary Toxicology Program and Department of Environmental Health Science, College of Public Health, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602 *Interdisciplinary Toxicology Program and Department of Environmental Health Science, College of Public Health, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602 jswang@uga.edu.
authors.forename: Jia-Sheng
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D016604:Aflatoxin B1 / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D000069196:Gastrointestinal Microbiome / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D007422:Intestines / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D015262:Xenobiotics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D015262:Xenobiotics; D016604:Aflatoxin B1
keywords: 16S rRNA sequencing; Aflatoxin B1; lactic acid bacteria; microbiome; mycotoxins; next-generation sequencing