Abstract
We studied the relationship between the effect of trichothecenes on susceptibility of mice to infectious diseases and that on intestinal local defense systems. It was found that a relative low dose (0.2-2 ppm) of deoxynivalenol (DON) and diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS) reduced the susceptibility to Salmonella infection among five trichothecenes (T-2 toxin, DON, DAS, fusarenon X (FX) and nivalenol (NIV)). T-2 toxin, DON, DAS, FX and NIV modulated cell-mediated and also humoral immune systems. DON and DAS inhibited IL-8 secretion from the intestinal cells at a concentration lower than that causing protein synthesis inhibition. IL-8 is considered to inhibit the overgrowth and translocation of bacteria through induction of neutrophil migration to apical surface of intestinal cells. Therefore, our results suggest that the impairment of local defense system caused by DON and DAS exposure via the oral route is primarily involved in induction of susceptibility increases to food borne Salmonella infection.
