Aflatoxin B1 as a complicit in intestinal damage caused by Eimeria ovinoidalis in lambs: Novel insights to reveal parasite-gut battle

作者：Pan Chen, Wenli Ding, Bowen Xu, Mujeeb Ur Rehman, Kaili Liu, Yanfeng He, Senyang Li, Fuchun Jian, Shu-Cheng 淑成 Huang 黄 · 发表于：The Science of The Total Environment · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174539 · 被引用次数：15 · 研究领域：Coccidia and coccidiosis research、Animal Nutrition and Physiology、Meat and Animal Product Quality

Mycotoxins, unavoidable contaminants in feed and feed ingredients, have the potential to influence the incidence and severity of various diseases upon ingestion. Sheep coccidiosis is an enteric disease caused by protozoa of Eimeria spp. However, the extent to which the presence of aflatoxin b1 (AFB1) synergistically exacerbates damage to intestinal health in lambs with Eimeria remains unclear. 50-day-old female lambs were randomly assigned to a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments for 15 days to assess the impact of AFB1 exposure on lambs with or without Eimeria (E.) ovinoidalis infection. Our findings reveal that AFB1 synergistically intensifies damage to intestinal health in lambs challenged by E. ovinoidalis. This is evidenced by disruptions to the intestinal microbiota and reductions in the production of short-chain fatty acids. AFB1 further aggravates damage to the cecal mechanical barrier. Additionally, AFB1 contributes to the entry of lipopolysaccharide into the bloodstream, activating the inflammatory response. Interestingly, AFB1 exposure history results in an early peak of oocyst excretion and a decreased number of oocyst excretion in E. ovinoidalis infected lambs. This may be closely linked to the destruction of the intestinal epithelial cell structure and its apoptosis, as indicated by a decreased ratio of Bcl-2 to Bax and increased caspase-3 levels. Mechanistically, proteomics analysis identified mitochondrial dysfunction (inhibition of the oxidative phospho...