8 research outputs found
MicroRNA expression profiles in liver and colon of sexually immature gilts after exposure to Fusarium mycotoxins
To improve our knowledge of the role of microRNAs (miRs) in responses of the porcine digestive
system to two Fusarium mycotoxins, zearalenone (ZEN) and deoxynivalenol (DON), we examined
the expression of 7 miRs (miR-9, miR-15a, miR-21, miR-34a, miR-122, miR-125b, and
miR-192), previously found to be deregulated in diseased liver and colon cells. In this study, immature
gilts were exposed to NOEL doses of ZEN (40 μg/kg/d), DON (12 μg/kg/d), ZEN+DON (40+12
μg/kg/d), and placebo (negative control group) for 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, and 42 days. Before the treatment,
expression levels of the selected miRs were measured in the liver, the duodenum, the jejunum, and
the ascending and the descending colon of the gilts. Hierarchical clustering of the tissues by their miR
expression profiles was consistent with what would be expected based on the anatomical locations and
the physiological functions of the organs, suggesting that functions of the miRs are related to the
specificities of the tissues in which they are expressed. A subset of 2 pairs of miRs (miR-21+miR-192
and miR-15a+miR-34a), which were assigned to two distinct clusters based on their tissue abundance,
was then evaluated in the liver and the ascending and the descending colon during the
treatment. The most meaningful results were obtained from the ascending colon, where a significant
effect of the treatment was observed, suggesting that during the exposure to mycotoxins, the pathways
involved in cell proliferation and survival were disordered. Changes in miR expression in the liver and
the descending colon of the treated gilts were smaller, and were associated more with treatment
duration than the exposure to ZEN, DON, or ZEN+DON. Further research should focus on identification
of genes whose expression is regulated by these aberrantly expressed miRs. This should facilitate
understanding of the miRNA-regulated biological effects of mycotoxins
Origin of dolomite-ankerite cement in the Bravaisberget Formation (Middle Triassic) in Spitsbergen, Svalbard
Type section of the Bravaisberget Formation (Middle Triassic) at Bravaisberget, western Nathorst Land , Spitsbergen, Svalbard
The Influence of Zearalenone on Selected Hemostatic Parameters in Sexually Immature Gilts
Vascular toxicity induced by xenobiotics is associated with dysfunctions or damage to endothelial cells, changes in vascular permeability or dysregulation of the vascular redox state. The aim of this study was to determine whether per os administration of zearalenone (ZEN) influences selected hemostatic parameters in prepubertal gilts. This study was performed on female gilts divided into a control group which received placebo and an experimental group which received ZEN at a dose of 5.0 µg·kg−1 b.w. × day−1. On days 14, 28 and 42, blood samples were collected from the animals for analyses of hematological, coagulation and fibrinolysis parameters, nitric oxide, von Willebrand factor antigen content and catalase activity. The results demonstrated that the treatment of gilts with ZEN at a dose below no observable adverse effect level did not affect the primary hemostasis and the blood coagulation cascade. However, ZEN could have temporarily affected the selected indicators of endothelial cell function (increase of von Willebrand factor, decrease of nitric oxide levels) and the oxidative status plasma (decrease of catalase activity) of the exposed gilts. In summary, these results suggest that the adaptive response to ZEN-exposure can induce a transient imbalance in the vascular system by acting on vascular endothelial cells