Organ Damage and Hepatic Lipid Accumulation in Carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) after Feed-Borne Exposure to the Mycotoxin, Deoxynivalenol (DON)

Abstract

Deoxynivalenol (DON) frequently contaminates animal feed, including fish feed used in aquaculture. This study intends to further investigate the effects of DON on carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) at concentrations representative for commercial fish feeds. Experimental feeding with 352, 619 or 953 μg DON kg−1 feed resulted in unaltered growth performance of fish during six weeks of experimentation, but increased lipid peroxidation was observed in liver, head kidney and spleen after feeding of fish with the highest DON concentration. These effects of DON were mostly reversible by two weeks of feeding the uncontaminated control diet. Histopathological scoring revealed increased liver damage in DON-treated fish, which persisted even after the recovery phase. At the highest DON concentration, significantly more fat, and consequently, increased energy content, was found in whole fish body homogenates. This suggests that DON affects nutrient metabolism in carp. Changes of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity in kidneys and muscle and high lactate levels in serum indicate an effect of DON on anaerobic metabolism. Serum albumin was reduced by feeding the medium and a high dosage of DON, probably due to the ribotoxic action of DON. Thus, the present study provides evidence of the effects of DON on liver function and metabolism.

Physiological responses of carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) to dietary exposure to zearalenone (ZEN)

“…Total protein content in serum of all carp used in the present study was slightly lower in most cases (Table 3) compared with previously reported values in other studies (Hoseini and Ghelichpour, 2013;Varga et al, 2013;Pietsch et al, 2014b). Serum total protein levels are known to reflect nutritional condition of carp and it may still be assumed that in general the nutritional status of the fish was sufficient in the present study (Navarro and Gutiérrez, 1995).…”

“…Moreover, SDH in liver inversely correlated with SDH activity in serum after four weeks of experimental feeding. Compared to the present study, SDH activity in serum of carp was slightly higher in another feeding study using carp which showed reduced SDH activity after being fed a diet contaminated with 953 μg of the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol per kg feed for four weeks (Pietsch et al, 2014b). Consequently, the symptoms of carp exposed to ZEN partly resemble the situation of fish after exposure to sublethal concentrations of carbamate pesticide or the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol since these showed increases of LDH and decreased SDH activity in several organs often accompanied by hyperglycaemia and hyperlactaemia, which suggested that anaerobic metabolism was favored (Sastry and Siddiqui, 1982;Pietsch et al, 2014b).…”

“…Since increased LDH activity in blood circulation would be related to organ damages indicating membrane leakage in tissues as has been shown after exposure of carp to toxic concentrations of pesticides and the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (Asztalos and Nemcsok, 1985;Pietsch et al, 2014b), these are not indicated in serum samples of ZEN-treated carp. Despite effects on LDH activities, significant increases of AST and ALT have been observed in carp that have been exposed to handling stress, regular exercise or toxic substances such as deoxynivalenol, microcystins and cyanide (Carbis et al, 1997;Li et al, 2004;Dobšíková et al, 2009;Sadati et al, 2013;Varga et al, 2013;Pietsch et al, 2014b). Compared to this, ZEN-treated carp only showed minor effects on AST and ALT activities after four weeks as well as after two more weeks of feeding the uncontaminated diet.…”

Short-term effects of T-2 toxin or deoxynivalenol on lipid peroxidation and the glutathione system in common carp

“…T-2 toxin was also found to reduce feed intake in rainbow trout (Poston et al, 1982). Hooft et al (2011) found DON-induced histopathological changes in the liver and intestine of trout, while Pietsch et al (2014) in the liver of carp. T-2 toxin was found to reduce the growth rate and increase the mortality of common carp (Balogh et al, 2009).…”

Influence of mycotoxins on fish health

“…Ponadto obniżone przyrosty wagowe zaobserwowano u łososia atlantyckiego i pstrąga tęczowego po podaniu paszy skażonej deoksyniwalenolem (0,3-3,7 mg/kg paszy) (1). Nie zaobserwowano natomiast różnic wagowych między grupą kontrolną a grupą badaną wśród karpi, którym podawano paszę z dodatkiem deoksyniwalenolu na poziomie 352-953 µg/kg paszy (33).…”