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The objective was to investigate effects of Toxy-Nil (TN) or Unike Plus (UP) on gene expression profiles of blood leukocytes and milk somatic cells (MSC) in dairy cows challenged with dietary aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). Sixteen mid-lactation Holstein cows were assigned to receive one of the following treatments: 1) 2.8 mg of AFB1/cow/day (positive control, PC); 2) 2.8 mg of AFB1 + 100 g of TN/cow/day; 3) 2.8 mg of AFB1 + 100 g of UP/cow/day; or 4) no AFB1 and no adsorbents (negative control, NC). Treatments were administered for 7 days by top-dressing onto a standard TMR diet. Feed and water were available ad libitum throughout the trial. Blood and milk samples were obtained on day 7. Subsequently, mRNA from blood leukocytes and MSC were isolated and sequenced. Genes were considered differentially expressed (DE) when P < 0.001 and FDR ≤ 0.10. There were few differences in gene expression of blood leukocytes. No DE genes were observed when comparing cows not fed AFB1 to those that were fed AFB1 (NC vs average of PC/TN/UP). Comparing cows fed AFB1 alone to cows also receiving adsorbents (PC vs average of TN/UP) revealed one downregulated gene, which was related to mitotic processes and five upregulated genes, which related to nitric oxide generation, signaling, and platelet activation. Comparing TN to UP revealed downregulation of two genes related to platelet activation and iron ion and oxygen binding. In MSC, numerous changes in gene expression were observed. Three annotated genes were DE between NC and TN/UP. No genes were DE between adsorbent treatments (TN vs UP). However, comparing cows not fed AFB1 to those fed AFB1 alone (NC vs PC) revealed 120 DE genes, and 70 genes were DE between cows fed AFB1 without or with adsorbents (PC vs TN/UP). Of those DE genes, 49 were common to the comparisons PC vs NC and PC vs TN/UP. These genes represented functional clusters including glycoproteins and milk proteins, secretion, signaling, protein binding, transporter activity, and response to steroid hormones. Protein domains found to be differentially expressed included a- and b-caseins. Furthermore, approximately 20% of the common DE genes in MSC were mammary gland-specific. In summary, daily feeding of 2.8 mg of aflatoxin B1 to lactating dairy cows resulted in few DE genes in blood leukocytes, but elicited numerous changes in gene expression in milk somatic cells, many of which were modulated in cows fed TN or UP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective was to investigate effects of Toxy-Nil (TN) or Unike Plus (UP) on gene expression profiles of blood leukocytes and milk somatic cells (MSC) in dairy cows challenged with dietary aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). Sixteen mid-lactation Holstein cows were assigned to receive one of the following treatments: 1) 2.8 mg of AFB1/cow/day (positive control, PC); 2) 2.8 mg of AFB1 + 100 g of TN/cow/day; 3) 2.8 mg of AFB1 + 100 g of UP/cow/day; or 4) no AFB1 and no adsorbents (negative control, NC). Treatments were administered for 7 days by top-dressing onto a standard TMR diet. Feed and water were available ad libitum throughout the trial. Blood and milk samples were obtained on day 7. Subsequently, mRNA from blood leukocytes and MSC were isolated and sequenced. Genes were considered differentially expressed (DE) when P < 0.001 and FDR ≤ 0.10. There were few differences in gene expression of blood leukocytes. No DE genes were observed when comparing cows not fed AFB1 to those that were fed AFB1 (NC vs average of PC/TN/UP). Comparing cows fed AFB1 alone to cows also receiving adsorbents (PC vs average of TN/UP) revealed one downregulated gene, which was related to mitotic processes and five upregulated genes, which related to nitric oxide generation, signaling, and platelet activation. Comparing TN to UP revealed downregulation of two genes related to platelet activation and iron ion and oxygen binding. In MSC, numerous changes in gene expression were observed. Three annotated genes were DE between NC and TN/UP. No genes were DE between adsorbent treatments (TN vs UP). However, comparing cows not fed AFB1 to those fed AFB1 alone (NC vs PC) revealed 120 DE genes, and 70 genes were DE between cows fed AFB1 without or with adsorbents (PC vs TN/UP). Of those DE genes, 49 were common to the comparisons PC vs NC and PC vs TN/UP. These genes represented functional clusters including glycoproteins and milk proteins, secretion, signaling, protein binding, transporter activity, and response to steroid hormones. Protein domains found to be differentially expressed included a- and b-caseins. Furthermore, approximately 20% of the common DE genes in MSC were mammary gland-specific. In summary, daily feeding of 2.8 mg of aflatoxin B1 to lactating dairy cows resulted in few DE genes in blood leukocytes, but elicited numerous changes in gene expression in milk somatic cells, many of which were modulated in cows fed TN or UP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effects of dietary contamination with various levels of deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEA) were investigated on Ross 308 hybrid broilers of both sexes. After hatching, all chickens were fed an identical control diet for two weeks. Then chickens of Group 1 received a diet contaminated with DON and ZEA, both being 3.4 mg kg(-1), while Group 2 received DON and ZEA at 8.2 and 8.3 mg kg(-1), respectively. The diet of the control group contained background levels of mycotoxins. Samples of blood and tissues were collected after two weeks. Intake of both contaminated diets resulted in a significantly decreased activity of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and increased level of malondialdehyde (MDA) in liver tissue, while in kidneys the concentration of MDA was significantly increased only in Group 1. On the other hand, activities of blood GPx and plasma gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) were elevated in Group 2 only. Activities of thioredoxin reductase in liver and GPx in duodenal mucosa tissues, superoxide dismutase (SOD) in erythrocytes as well as levels of MDA in duodenal mucosa and alpha-tocopherol in plasma were not affected by dietary mycotoxins. Blood phagocytic activity was significantly depressed in Group 1 and 2. These results demonstrate that diets contaminated with DON and ZEA at medium levels are already able to induce oxidative stress and compromise the blood phagocytic activity in fattening chickens.