The effect of feeding a diet naturally contaminated with deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZON) on the spleen and liver of sow and fetus from day 35 to 70 of gestation
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Abstract
Pregnant sows were fed a control diet (CON, 0.15 mg deoxynivalenol (DON) and 0.0035
mg zearalenone (ZON) per kg diet) or diet containing 15% of Fusarium toxin contaminated
triticale (MYCO, 4.42 mg DON and 0.048 mg ZON per kg diet) during days 35-70 of gestation.
All sows were fed in a restricted feeding regimen with the same amount of feed (2000
g/d) over the whole study. At the end of the experiment, fetuses were delivered by
Caesarian section and samples of spleen and liver of euthanized sows and fetuses were
analyzed. At terminal necropsy, no macroscopic lesion was observed in any organ of
either sows or fetuses. The histopathological data indicated significant alteration
only in elevated iron staining in the red pulp of spleens in sows of MYCO group after
35 days of feeding. The presence of hemosiderin particles in the spleen sections was
confirmed by transmission electron microscopical investigation and by an enhanced
Fe2+ concentration in spleen. A glycogen increase (p<0.05) was found in liver cells
of fetuses in the experimental group. Together, the results provide evidence of spleen
dysfunction (hemosiderosis) in sows fed a Fusarium toxin-contaminated wheat, however,
with absence of clinical signs. Enhanced glycogen and an impairment of mitochondria
in liver of fetuses was present when their mothers consumed the MYCO diet.