An update on immunotoxicity and mechanisms of action of six environmental mycotoxins. (May 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sun, Yuhang; Huang, Kehe; Long, Miao; Yang, Shuhua; Zhang, Ying
• Is Part Of: Food and chemical toxicology. Volume 163(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-05
• Subjects: Mycotoxins -- Immunotoxicity -- Immunosuppression -- Immunostimulation -- Mechanisms; Toxicology -- Periodicals; Food poisoning -- Periodicals; Food Poisoning -- Periodicals; Toxicology -- Periodicals; Toxicologie -- Périodiques; Intoxications alimentaires -- Périodiques; Food poisoning; Toxicology; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 615.9
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2022.112895
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0278-6915

Abstract

Abstract: Paradoxically, aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), ochratoxin A (OTA), deoxynivalenol (DON), T-2 toxin (T-2), fumonisin B1 (FB1), and zearalenone (ZEA) have both immunosuppressive and immunostimulatory effects. The immunotoxicity of six mycotoxins exhibits immune suppression or stimulation, which depends on multiple factors. Low doses of mycotoxins can induce an inflammatory response, but elevated levels of ones can induce immunosuppression; long-term instead of short-term mycotoxin exposure is immunosuppressive. These six mycotoxins play anti-inflammatory roles when the immunologic stimulants are present but pro-inflammatory roles when the immunologic stimulants are absent. Pigs are most sensitive animals to mycotoxins, followed by humans and poultry, rodent, and marine organism, and ruminants are the least susceptible. Female animals are more susceptible to mycotoxins than male ones. The immunosuppresion mechanism of mycotoxins are mainly in, oxidative stress, apoptosis and autophagy of immune cells, as well as inhibits the immunity-related signal pathways; and AFB1, OTA, DON, and T-2 induce immunostimulation via directly activating the TLRs/NF-κB pathway and other crossing pathways including cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). This review strongly dispels the viewpoint that "immunotoxicity is equivalent to immunosuppression", clearly demonstrates the mechanistic pathway and how it contributes to immunosuppression or immunostimulation, thereby providing reliable references for future studies. Highlights: Six common mycotoxins have immunostimulatory and immunosuppressive effects. The two-way immune effects depend on mycotoxin exposure time, doses and species. Mycotoxins triggered oxidative stress, apoptosis and autophagy inducing immunotoxicity. Mycotoxins also induced immunotoxicity via immunity-related or other signal pathways.