Zearalenone Affect the Intestinal Villi Associated with the Distribution and the Expression of Ghrelin and Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen in Weaned Gilts

Abstract

This study explored and investigated how zearalenone (ZEA) affects the morphology of small intestine and the distribution and expression of ghrelin and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in the small intestine of weaned gilts. A total of 20 weaned gilts (42-day-old, D × L × Y, weighing 12.84 ± 0.26 kg) were divided into the control and ZEA groups (ZEA at 1.04 mg/kg in diet) in a 35-d study. Histological observations of the small intestines revealed that villus injuries of the duodenum, jejunum and ileum, such as atrophy, retardation and branching dysfunction, were observed in the ZEA treatment. The villi branch of the ileum in the ZEA group was obviously decreased compared to that of the ileum, jejunum and duodenum, and the number of lymphoid nodules of the ileum was increased. Additionally, the effect of ZEA (1.04 mg/kg) was decreased by the immunoreactivity and distribution of ghrelin and PCNA in the duodenal and jejunal mucosal epithelial cells. Interestingly, ZEA increased the immunoreactivity of ghrelin in the ileal mucosal epithelial cells and decreased the immunoreactivity expression of PCNA in the gland epithelium of the small intestine. In conclusion, ZEA (1.04 mg/kg) had adverse effects on the development and the absorptive capacity of the villi of the intestines; yet, the small intestine could resist or ameliorate the adverse effects of ZEA by changing the autocrine of ghrelin in intestinal epithelial cells.

Immunohistochemical Expression (IE) of Oestrogen Receptors in the Intestines of Prepubertal Gilts Exposed to Zearalenone

“…However, histopathological analyses, ultrastructural analyses, and analyses of the metabolic profile of samples taken from same gilts frequently revealed changes in certain tissues or cells. These findings have been posted in various articles [ 2 , 19 , 20 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 ].…”

“…However, they are not steroids and do not originate from sterane structures [ 10 ]. EDs such as zearalenone are involved in several processes [ 11 , 12 ] that influence the endocrine system [ 13 ] and induce side effects [ 14 ]: (i) in prepubertal gilts, EDs compete with endogenous oestrogens for the binding sites of oestrogen receptors (ERs), which can alter mRNA expression levels and protein synthesis and reduce the efficacy of endogenous steroids [ 10 , 15 , 16 , 17 ]; (ii) EDs can bind to the inactive receptor (i.e., blocking it), thereby preventing the binding of natural hormones to that receptor (antagonistic effect) [ 11 , 17 ]; (iii) EDs reduce the levels of circulating natural hormones because they bind to blood transporting proteins, [ 2 ]; and (iv) EDs can also affect the body’s metabolism by influencing the rates of synthesis, decomposition, and release of natural hormones [ 10 , 18 , 19 , 20 ].…”

Quantitative Proteomic Analysis of Zearalenone Exposure on Uterine Development in Weaned Gilts

“…The 0.4 g frozen uterine sample in 5 mL sterile centrifuge tube was ground with a high-throughput tissue grinder (Scientz-192, Beyotime, Shanghai, China). The homogenate was centrifuged at 10,000× g at 4 °C for 10 min, and the supernatant was separated to detect ZEA, α-ZOL, and β-ZOL by LC-MS/MS at the Institute of Quality Standards and Detection Technology of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, according to Wan et al [ 43 ] and Zhang et al [ 77 ]. The LC-MS/MS analysis was performed using Agilent 1200 liquid chromatograph (Agilent Technologies, Palo Alto, CA, USA) installed with the 3200 QTrap ® mass spectrometry system (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA, USA).…”

Lycopene alleviates multiple-mycotoxin-induced toxicity by inhibiting mitochondrial damage and ferroptosis in the mouse jejunum

“…30 The villus height and crypt depth reflect the digestive and absorption capacity of the intestinal epithelium. 31 Previous studies have shown that ZEN induces villus injury in the jejunum; 32 DON alters the intestinal morphology, disrupts the intestinal barrier, and reduces nutrient absorption; 7 and AFB1 causes histological lesions in the duodenum and reduces the villus height/crypt depth ratio, thus reducing nutrient absorption. 10 In the present study, co-exposure to ZEN, DON, and AFB1 induced the villus injury, and reduced the villus height/crypt depth ratio and the disaccharidase (maltase and lactase) activities, and disrupted the distribution of TJ proteins (ZO1, occludin1, and claudin1) in the jejunum.…”