Effects of deoxynivalenol on Salmonella enteritidis infection

Abstract

The effect of deoxynivalenol (DON) on Salmonella enteritidis infection was investigated in male Balb/c mice. Mice were given water containing 2 ppm DON or no toxin for 3 weeks. DON did not affect body weight and the spleen and liver weight. Mice were intubated with S. enteritidis (3×10⁶ CFU) at 2 weeks of the experiment, and then enumeration of bacteria in the liver, spleen and mesentric lymph nodes (MLN) was examined for 1 week. Salmonellae increased more rapidly in the MLN and liver of the DON-treated mice than in those of the DON-untreated mice. Salmonella counts in the spleen were highter in the DON-treated mice than in untreated mice (p<0.05). These results indicate that drinking of 2 ppm DON reduces resistance to peroral infection of S. enteritidis, presumably by inhibiting the cell-mediated immune function.